Will India send its troops to Ukraine to ensure peace and assuage Kyev’s security concerns?
Will Chinese troops join Indian soldiers to guarantee peace and security after the Russia-Ukraine War comes to an end?
US President Donald Trump’s surprise call to Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin was followed by a high-level meeting of the leaders and officials of the two countries in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh.
US-Russia Discuss Peace Without Ukraine
The two sides discussed many bilateral issues too, but the most significant agenda on the table was how to end the Ukraine War.
Ukraine was not invited to the talks after Trump told journalists bluntly that he did not think Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky too important.
Though Zelensky said that he would not accept the outcome of any talks that are held without its participation, he downplayed his anger later.
How Can India Help Negotiate?
If media reports are to be believed, the potential role of India in brokering peace and rebuilding a war-torn nation can not be ruled out because New Delhi has always been seen as a neutral party in the conflict.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ukraine and held talks with President Zelensky.
The visit was seen as New Delhi’s attempt to reach out to the war-torn country.
Earlier, he also visited Russia, and held talks with President Vladimir Putin, though he received flak for arriving in Moscow on the day when civilians, including children, were killed in a Russian missile attack.
PM Modi also told Putin that it was not the age of wars.
Ukraine Open To Chinese Role
Beijing is better placed as a peace broker. Zelenskyy did not rule out the possibility of China joining peace negotiations with Russia. He told journalists, “Regarding China. Look, we have always said we welcome serious players at the table.”
However, he emphasised that potential mediators must commit to offering security guarantees for Ukraine, curb Russian aggression, and invest in the country’s reconstruction.
Ukraine-China Meet
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, and the meeting was also attended by Andrii Yermak, Head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office.
Indicating that Beijing might be exerting pressure on Russia for the first time, Sybiha said, “It is critical that we engage with Chinese authorities to push Putin toward ending the war.”
He added, “I believe we are now witnessing China’s interest in this matter for the first time.
China, India To Send Troops?
Analysts believe China can join forces with other major powers to offer a security umbrella not only for Ukraine but potentially also for Russia.
Besides, if peacekeeping operations are discussed, China and India are the most viable options for deploying troops in Ukraine.
Experts also believe, deploying European forces is unrealistic as Moscow may consider them as “just another form of NATO’s presence” in the region.
It is interesting to note that Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning announced last month that Beijing was willing to engage in dialogue with other nations to facilitate peace talks and resolve the “conflict”.
