Industry Odisha Bureau, Oct 07: New Delhi has proposed a three-part Russia-Ukraine truce. It calls for keeping Black Sea grain and energy flowing and sparing infrastructure. It also seeks an end to attacks on merchant ships.
Ceasefire ideas for the Russia-Ukraine war have so far tackled one problem at a time. New Delhi is trying to bundle three of them together. Its proposal links infrastructure, Black Sea trade and commercial shipping in a single framework. The plan was conveyed to Ukraine’s leadership last month, people familiar with it said.
Three asks, one package
First, both sides would stop attacking each other’s energy and other infrastructure. Second, grain and energy would keep flowing from Black Sea ports. Third, attacks on merchant vessels and their crews would end. Strikes on ports and ships disrupt the very commodity flows the plan aims to protect.
Wider than rival plans
Ukraine has received ceasefire proposals from India, Egypt, Turkey and the US. Egypt and Turkey have focused on shipping and unimpeded grain flows. The US plan centres on an “energy ceasefire”. India’s proposal attempts to cover these areas together.
Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha called it the “most comprehensive” on 2 October. He said Kyiv could consider different truce formats, including along front lines. But any truce must cover energy and port infrastructure and the Black Sea, he said.
Russia’s and Ukraine’s formal responses to the plan remain unclear. Follow-up exchanges have taken place, but no details were given.
Why the Black Sea matters
For India, the stakes are practical. Black Sea ports handle almost 30% of Russian energy flows to India. Attacks on shipping have disrupted those supplies in recent weeks. Reports point to lower Russian crude supplies and higher freight costs, notably from Novorossiysk. Grain flows have been hit too.
Seafarers in harm’s way
Five Indian seafarers have been killed in recent Russian and Ukrainian attacks on merchant ships. The deaths have prompted repeated Indian calls to stop strikes on commercial shipping.
From advocacy to engagement
Narendra Modi met Vladimir Putin at the SCO summit in Kyrgyzstan on 31 August. He urged a move from “endless war to the end of war”. On 3 September, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Kyiv. It was the first stand-alone Ukraine trip by an Indian foreign minister. He met Sybiha and President Volodymyr Zelensky separately.
Jaishankar says India has moved beyond advocacy to talks with both sides. He also flagged fuel, food and fertiliser shortages hurting the Global South. At a Valdai Club meeting in Moscow, Putin said Modi had “excellent ideas” for solutions.
Washington’s shadow
There is a US dimension too. The Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act is expected to take effect by mid-October. It raises the prospect of up to 100% tariffs over India’s Russian energy purchases. Progress towards a truce could ease some pressure from Washington.
Peace with practical stakes
The war began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. India’s proposal ties peace diplomacy to its own economic exposure. Black Sea stability matters for its energy, grain, shipping and citizens at sea. The plan also signals New Delhi’s deeper engagement with both Moscow and Kyiv. Whether it gains traction rests with Russia and Ukraine.
