Will Kyiv’s ‘conciliatory’ stance change India’s neutrality on Russia-Ukraine war?

Almost two years after Kyiv accused India of buying Russian oil tainted with ‘Ukrainian blood’, it is seeking deeper diplomatic and trade ties

Analysts say the move is unlikely to change India’s neutral stance on the war, but say there’s a possibility Delhi could play a mediating role

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Ukrainian soldiers in the Donetsk region prepare 152mm self-propelled howitzers to fire at Russian positions last month. Photo: AP

Published: 6:30pm, 2 Apr 2024

The recent visit by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to New Delhi signals a “shift” in the country’s stance towards India, but the South Asian nation is likely to maintain its policy of diplomatic neutrality in the Russia-Ukraine war, analysts said.

During his March 28-29 trip, Kuleba held talks with his Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar and India’s Deputy National Security Adviser Vikram Misri, as he sought to restore bilateral ties and enhance trade cooperation with a country that has increasingly been positioning itself as the leading voice of the Global South.

“We agreed to restore the level of cooperation between our countries that existed prior to the full-scale war launched by Russia, as well as identify new promising projects to take our relations to the next level,” Kuleba said.

His visit marked a change in the diplomatic tone adopted by Ukraine, which had in August 2022 accused India of buying cheap Russian oil tainted with “Ukrainian blood” during the conflict.

Kuleba on Friday hinted that Ukraine could tolerate India’s oil purchases as long as it paid in Indian rupees. Indian buyers mostly pay Russian oil firms in UAE dirhams or US dollars.

“The visit appears to be a shift in Ukraine’s foreign policy towards India but not necessarily a shift in India’s foreign policy,” said Donald Camp, a retired foreign service officer in Washington and a South Asia expert.

“Ukraine has decided it had little to gain from castigating India for its Russian ties and has moved to a more conciliatory position,” Camp told This Week in Asia. “I suspect it’s partly a recognition that India is a global player, and it’s better to have India on their side, or as close to their side as they can get.”

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba (right) meets Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar on March 29. Photo: X/@DmytroKuleba

Will Kyiv’s ‘conciliatory’ stance change India’s neutrality on Russia-Ukraine war?

Almost two years after Kyiv accused India of buying Russian oil tainted with ‘Ukrainian blood’, it is seeking deeper diplomatic and trade ties Analysts say the move is unlikely to change India’s neutral stance on the war, but say there’s a possibility Delhi could play a mediating role

Almost two years after Kyiv accused India of buying Russian oil tainted with ‘Ukrainian blood’, it is seeking deeper diplomatic and trade ties

Analysts say the move is unlikely to change India’s neutral stance on the war, but say there’s a possibility Delhi could play a mediating role