External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Sunday said that India has moved beyond advocacy and stepped up its efforts in recent months for the resolution of the Ukraine conflict by engaging in conversations with both Kyiv and Moscow.

Speaking at the 62nd Munich Security Conference in New Delhi, Jaishankar said that the United States (US) has radically repositioned itself and “deliberately” become a “lonelier power”. He reiterated his warning that energy and trade disruptions are hitting household budgets and jobs, and are set to worsen as food, fuel and fertiliser prices increase.

Jaishankar said the West Asian conflict has “deeply unsettled” energy markets. “This is people’s kitchens, jobs, and their livelihoods, and these are all on the line for us because we were primarily dependent on that part of the world,” he said.

The External Affairs Minister spoke of the need for middle and emerging powers  to cooperate on connectivity, supply chains and defence. He attributed India and the EU concluding their free-trade agreement negotiations, which lasted almost a quarter century, to the current geopolitical uncertainty. He added that most emerging and middle powers are focused on diversifying and de-risking their economy, security, as well as supply chains.

On the US repositioning itself, the Minister said, “No one in the room would disagree with the fact that the landscape today is primarily marked by a radical repositioning of the United States.” “A repositioning which is a posture of choice,” he said, suggesting that, in a way, it has “deliberately” become a “lonelier power”.

“The second feature of the landscape is, of course, the rise of China. China, which sees itself as a unique country that is, in a way, both its self-perception and, in many ways, also the reality, and we are looking at very sharp competition.” “That competition today, not limited to these two countries, has led to a weaponisation of any leverage that any country has. And that competition coexists with the complexity of interdependence,” Jaishankar said. On the US-China rivalry, he said, “We are looking at what is often called the Goldilocks scenario.” “You don’t want it to be too hot; you don’t want it to be too good; you want it somewhere in between,” he said.

On relations with Moscow, Jaishankar said India and Russia had “historically very good relations, particularly since the 1950s. That history is not forgotten.” The erstwhile Soviet Union, he said, had “stood by us in many ways when our security, when our territorial integrity was under threat,” at a time when “much of the world preferred backing a military regime next to us”, indicating Western support to successive Pakistani military regimes. The relationship had widened beyond that legacy, he said. 

He called the Russia-Ukraine conflict “unfortunate” and restated New Delhi’s position that it “would like to see an end to this conflict. This will require dialogue and diplomacy.” India had “been advocating it for many years, and in recent months we have got a little bit more involved beyond advocacy,” holding talks with both Russia and Ukraine. Those contacts, he said, began with “the Black Sea safety of shipping issue” and now covered “grain exports, energy exports, non-attack possibilities.”

Jaishankar’s comments came days after Russian President Vladimir Putin said PM Narendra Modi has “good ideas” to find a mutually acceptable solution to the conflict. Ukraine Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on Friday that Kyiv received separate proposals from India and three other nations for a possible ceasefire.