Some hours ago, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a heart-wrenchingly impassioned plea to the international community, particularly to all Western countries, to step up their protests against Russia’s military assault on his country. Urging all European people not to be quiet and instead take to the streets in support of Ukraine’s freedom, Zelensky said defeating Russian troops would be “a victory of light over darkness … of good over evil”. Most notably, though, he declared that if Ukraine fell to Russia, then the whole continent of Europe would fall too.
Not long before that, the 44-year-old former TV comedian also accused all NATO leaders of being “weak, insecure inside” for not closing the skies over Ukraine (in other words, establishing a no-fly zone over the war-ravaged country) lest that may provoke a direct retaliation from Russia.
But this could be one of the smartest decisions that the NATO countries have collectively taken.
While Zelensky’s cries for help as the leader of a nation desperately trying to protect its pride and sovereignty can be justified and perhaps should not be judged, the West should refrain from taking any step that has the potential of turning the current situation in Ukraine into a full-blown face-off between Russia and NATO forces, which could in no time escalate into a Third World War where nuclear bombs will be the dominant currency.
A recent statement from one of Zelensky’s key advisors that the resistance from Ukrainian armed forces and people “would grind down the Russian war machine” seems increasingly impractical, if not delusional, as city after city fall to Russian forces across the country. The loss of life and property in Ukraine has already been overwhelmingly high, yet the language used by the Ukrainian leadership evinces no eagerness for a ceasefire or even a temporary resolution – despite repeated assurances from Russian President Vladimir Putin that the invasion would be called off if Moscow’s security demands are met.
Meanwhile, India has responded to this crisis with utmost restraint and wisdom.
Despite facing immense pressure from the international community to take a stand against Russia, India repeatedly abstained from voting for a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution condemning Moscow’s “aggression” against Kyiv. At a time when famously neutral nations like Switzerland abandoned their historical policy of not taking sides in external military conflicts, New Delhi has remained neutral to a fault. This approach serves many purposes.
Apart from being able to focus on providing tonnes of humanitarian aid to Ukraine and efficiently rescuing Indian citizens from the war-hit region, New Delhi has retained its credentials as an impartial mediator in the conflict between the two sides. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spared no efforts in urging both Putin and Zelensky to return to the negotiating table and restore peace in the region.
At the UNSC meeting last month, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti had perfectly summed up the values that his nation stands for: “No solution can ever be arrived at the cost of human lives.”
It should be a matter of great pride for all Indians that their nation is not only taking a leadership position in alerting the world to the heavy price that all sides will pay if the Russia-Ukraine conflict perpetuates or escalates, but it is also showing a far better way to deal with the challenge at hand.
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