Of Many in the Indian opposition Shashi Tharoor is one of the veteran leaders who time and again has proved that why he is one of the leaders who is worth the hype. His recent words, regarding India’s stance on the Russia Ukraine war, struck a chord with the masses. Unlike some of his colleagues, Tharoor “called a spade a spade”.
In the recent Raisina dialogue held in New Delhi Tharoor openly said “Clearly, the policy has meant that India has a prime minister who can hug both the president of Ukraine and the president in Moscow two weeks apart and be accepted in both places,” acknowledging that he was left with “egg on his face” for opposing India’s neutral stance on Russia- Ukraine war when it began in 2022. He went on to praise the government’s stance and highlighted that India’s unique approach enabled it to play a significant role in fostering lasting peace.
Tharoor’s statements are not out of the blue. He is simply echoing what most world leaders have previously addressed. Russian president Vladimir Putin himself expressed gratitude to prime minister Modi along with Donald Trump for their rigorous efforts to bring the war to an end.
The American President Donald Trump has chosen his side, acknowledging Russia’s sovereign interests, keeping in mind the latter’s concerns regarding expansion of NATO. Giving India’s diplomacy a reason to pat themselves on their backs. Europe and other countries who abandoned Russia are gradually shifting with the tides, relieving India from the blame that it is on the side of violence and war. .
When hostilities first began in 2022, India was under extreme pressure from the west to condemn Putin, calling him a ‘war criminal’. India was also heavily criticized for availing the Russian oil which was being offered at a discounted price. The West was somewhere under the impression that through setups like QUAD, India will feel more reproachable for its neutral stance.
India had been clear that it would take decisions in the interests of its own thus, as on one side it was beneficial to join the QUAD, it was also rudimentary to remain close to Russia so as to deter China, because then Russia would have no choice but to depend on China completely. It was also highlighted how Russia was also one of the major suppliers of weapons to India despite attempts to diversify the sources of arms procurement.
Other side of the spectrum was the economic stability India’s decision brought. The discounted prices of the procured oil from Russia ensured that costs could be kept low domestically, helping the nation in turn to control inflation which was at par in other countries.
India’s intervention was given by Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Władysław Teofil Bartoszewski. To CNN news 18. The foreign minister shed light on how India was able to persuade Russian leader Vladimir Putin to not use nuclear weapons in the war with Ukraine.
India now enjoys a comprehensive partnership with Russia, with no blame from the world and the US for its stable choices. The relationship with Russia can be said to have gotten stronger. Also, India will not be on a tightrope in its dealing with the US, now that it knows that they have a common friend in the form of Russia.
Also, in the aftermath of Russia and the US thawing their ties, Russia’s co-dependency with China could be dialed down. When Trump is ready to call out his European counterparts then it would mean that Putin too will not be depending XI Jinping for his diplomatic decisions.
In the present scenario, it is quite favorable that the feeling of being egged on the face remains within the domestic lines, which is temporary in nature. A collective positive outcome will benefit all the sides within the nation. Tharoor completely understands that the strategic bet which Prime Minister Modi has won will ultimately benefit India’s foreign policy in the longer run.
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