As External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar embarks on his two-day visit to Moscow on Monday, all eyes are currently on India with regard to whether the country can initiate peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.
On his two-day visit, Jaishankar will meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Though the external affairs ministry claims the talks will focus on bilateral issues and "various regional and international developments," the Western media are already pinning hopes on India's good relations with both the East and West to coerce Russia to end the war.
The impending energy crisis could hit life in Ukraine and Europe and the "prospect of a negotiated settlement or at least a cease-fire may possibly arise," read a report by The New York Times (NYT) on Jaishankar's Moscow visit.
"This could open up a role for an enterprising neutral country or some small group of them to try to broker peace," the report added.
It also quoted Jeff M. Smith, director of the Asian Studies Center at The Heritage Foundation, a Washington research institute, who believes "India would be a strong candidate with credibility on both sides" if Russia and Ukraine were to express interest in having a neutral third-party mediation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin too has been very vocal in his praise of India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Recently, Putin praised India's independent foreign policy. He also highlighted India's growing role in global affairs, asserting how the future belongs to India.
The NYT report too highlights Modi's "good rapport with Russia’s leader" and how he shares certain strongman characteristics with Putin. "He can speak to Russia directly, which may be why Macron approached Modi about joint peace talks," the article read, referencing the French President's recent idea of hosting peace talks along with Modi.
"Peacemaking could carve a more prominent place for India in the global order and possibly bring it closer to a long-sought prize of a fairer power distribution — a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council," the article added, calling Modi " India’s most powerful prime minister in decades."
Jaishankar's recent statement that India will be "willing to do whatever we can do" on mediation also hinted at the country's willingness to take up the mediator role.
The report also explores the possibility of a joint mediation effort led by India, Israel and the United Arab Emirates. "The fact that these issues are being discussed and that some officials are contemplating an India, Israel, U.A.E. mediation effort is a significant development," Kenneth Juster, a former American ambassador to India, told NYT.
"That these three countries could be working together and possibly approaching Russia to mediate its dispute with Ukraine," he said, "illustrates the fluidity of the international system and the changes that have occurred in it."
Juster also praised officials of Indian foreign service, calling them "very skilful diplomats."
That said, the MEA has refused to comment on the specifics of what will come up in the meetings. But, many think Jaishankar’s visit is also tied to India’s ambition of being a world power.
"In recent years we have seen how trade, connectivity, debt, resources, and even tourism have become points of political pressure. The Ukraine conflict has widened the scope of political leveraging," Jaishankar recently said.