Thaw in sight

Russia’s announcement that it will significantly scale down military operations near Ukraine’s capital Kyiv and the northern city of Chernihiv has raised hopes of de-escalation of tensions in a war that has completed five weeks and claimed thousands of lives so far, besides displacing millions of people. Tuesday’s round of Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul seems to have paved the way for a breakthrough. India has called for a ‘purposeful engagement’ by both countries to eventually secure long-term peace and stability in the region and beyond. The US, however, has responded sceptically to Russia’s indication of a pullback, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken suspecting that it might be Moscow’s ploy to ‘deceive people and deflect attention’.

War-battered Ukraine has offered a framework for a peace deal under which it would remain neutral but its security would be guaranteed by an array of countries, including the US, Britain, France, Turkey, China and Poland. Under the prospective pact, Kyiv would commit itself to not joining any alliance or providing bases for foreign troops. Had Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy given an assurance to Russia about its neutrality and non-nuclear status at the outset, the hostilities would not have reached a crescendo. Moscow is justified in sticking to its demand that Ukraine should not harbour any hope of joining NATO, the US-led transatlantic military alliance.

It’s in the entire world’s interest that this war does not drag on. The conflict has severely impacted global economy, with food and fuel prices shooting up worldwide. The sanctions slapped on Russia are proving to be a double-edged sword, hurting developed as well as developing countries. Ukraine and Russia are major agricultural producers — 30 per cent of the world’s wheat exports and 20 per cent of the corn come from the Black Sea region. World Food Programme Executive Director David Beasley has rightly pointed out that ending the conflict is vital for avoiding famine, destabilisation of nations and mass migration. Prodded by the international community, Ukraine and Russia must find a middle ground expeditiously to prevent further devastation.