Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Oct 18: India has proposed a three-part truce between Russia and Ukraine aimed at halting attacks on energy facilities and other infrastructure, ensuring the uninterrupted movement of grain and energy through Black Sea ports, and ending attacks on commercial ships, according to a report by Geopolitical Monitor.
The proposal seeks to achieve a broader cessation of hostilities, going beyond separate ceasefire initiatives put forward by Turkiye, Egypt and the United States, the report by Nikola Mikovic said.
According to the report, the proposal was conveyed to Ukrainian officials during External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s visit to Kyiv in September. It seeks to address infrastructure security and maritime safety while ensuring the continued flow of vital commodities.
“We have four proposals. The broadest is India’s proposal. We are ready for an energy and Black Sea ceasefire, but only in this combination,” the report quoted Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha as saying.
Sybiha added that an energy ceasefire would entail a complete halt to strikes on all energy facilities, including port infrastructure.
His remarks suggest that Kyiv is open to New Delhi’s broader diplomatic initiative. The Kremlin has also welcomed India’s efforts, although it described the proposal as “addressing only one specific aspect of a potential settlement”.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov echoed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s assessment that there were currently “no prospects for a diplomatic resolution to the war”. Peskov argued that the conditions necessary for negotiations were “not yet in place”.
Russia has repeatedly maintained that it is seeking a “sustainable just peace” rather than a temporary ceasefire. Moscow believes a truce would give Ukraine time to regroup, rearm and prepare for another round of fighting.
For Kyiv, an energy ceasefire without a broader agreement addressing other aspects of the conflict also appears insufficient, the report said.
The report noted that while Russia continues to target Ukrainian power plants, Kyiv has inflicted significant damage on Russia’s energy sector. Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries have contributed to fuel shortages, with queues at petrol stations becoming commonplace and forcing Moscow to suspend fuel exports.
Despite its vast energy resources, Russia has been compelled to import fuel not only from neighbouring Kazakhstan and Belarus but also from India, according to the report.
Consequently, energy ties between Moscow and New Delhi are no longer one-sided. While Russia continues to supply crude oil to India, it also imports refined petroleum products from its South Asian partner.
Although India benefits economically from these trade arrangements, it also has an interest in ending the conflict through diplomacy and reducing risks to the global economy, the report observed.
India’s economic outlook is another factor shaping its approach to the war. With the International Monetary Fund raising its GDP growth forecast for the country to 7 per cent, New Delhi has a clear interest in limiting the economic fallout from a prolonged conflict.
Disruptions to energy supplies, maritime trade and food markets have consequences extending well beyond Europe. A ceasefire, therefore, is a matter of economic interest for India as well as a diplomatic priority, the report added.