Ukraine is holding a Global Peace Summit. Modi is perfectly placed to mediate

At the dawn of a new term, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a unique opportunity to play peacemaker at an event seen by many in the West as the most important peace summit since World War 2.

More than two years into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Kyiv is holding a Global Peace Summit in Switzerland on 15-16 June. It seeks to win support for a 10-point peace plan that requires Russian troops to leave its territory and cease hostilities.

While it expects over 100 countries to attend, the notable absentees include Russia, which wasn’t invited, and China, which declined to participate citing Russia’s exclusion.

India, led by PM Modi, should seize the moment. New Delhi’s case for being the leader of the so-called ‘Global South’ is as strong as it has ever been, especially in the wake of its successful G20 leadership.

Modi’s presence at the summit could help position India as a torchbearer for the concerns of emerging economies, including the energy crisis, food insecurity, and supply chain shocks—all of which have been aggravated by the war in Ukraine.

 At the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Samarkand in September 2022, PM Modi publicly said to Russian President Vladimir Putin, “Today’s era is not of war.” Further, India is reported to have played a role in supporting US efforts in late 2022 to assess and contain the possibility of a nuclear escalation by Russia. Echoing comments made by PM Modi at the SCO meeting, New Delhi could use the summit in Switzerland to stress the importance of democracy, diplomacy, and dialogue as the three pillars for peace in Ukraine and lasting stability in Eastern Europe.

Given India’s rising power in the global inter-state hierarchy, this kind of leadership from New Delhi is the need of the hour