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Global South and UN Mission in Ukraine
Context:
As the war in Ukraine inches closer to a fragile ceasefire — reinforced by recent maritime and energy truces brokered in Riyadh — the international community must confront the pressing question of how to ensure a lasting peace.
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- Equally critical is deciding who should take on the responsibility of implementing and safeguarding that peace.
- After four grueling years of conflict, both sides appear exhausted, ready to pivot from attrition to negotiation.
- The recent Black Sea accord, initiated in part by the U.S. President Donald Trump has offered a glimmer of hope.
- However, Western efforts to steer the post-war peacekeeping agenda face significant obstacles — not least of which is Russia’s clear rejection of any role for NATO-member states.
Neutral Force for a Fragile Peace
- Global South: In contrast, the Global South presents a credible, neutral alternative.
- Nations across Africa, Asia, and Latin America have largely maintained impartiality throughout the Ukraine conflict.
- Their relative distance from NATO politics gives them a moral advantage, enhancing their chances of earning trust from both Kyiv and Moscow.
- Examples: This neutrality has been symbolically captured in moments like Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visits — embracing both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy within weeks of each other.
- Peacekeeping Credentials: Crucially, countries from the Global South bring real-world peacekeeping credentials.
- The African Union has proven capable in volatile regions like Sudan, Somalia, and the Central African Republic.
- BRICS nations such as Brazil, India, and South Africa, along with countries like Indonesia and Chile, have contributed significantly to UN peacekeeping missions — from demining operations to community engagement.
India’s Pivotal Role
- Well Positioned: With more than 290,000 troops deployed across 50 UN peacekeeping operations to date — and over 160 sacrifices made in service of global peace — India’s legacy is unmatched.
- Community Trust: The 2007 deployment of an all-women peacekeeping contingent to Liberia showcased India’s innovative and inclusive approach, reinforcing community trust in fragile environments.
- Neutrality: India’s neutrality and diplomatic relationships with all major actors in the Ukraine conflict enhance its suitability for leadership.
- Its prominent role in past missions — such as the UN peacekeeping operation in Yugoslavia in the early 1990s — serves as precedent.
- Yet, India has so far remained cautious, even as other Global South players like China have moved to position themselves as potential mediators.
Conditions for Success
For a Global South-led mission to succeed, several critical conditions must be met:
- Ceasefire: A robust and enforceable ceasefire is essential, along with a clearly demarcated front line.
- Support: Western nations, particularly the European Union, must provide financial and logistical backing.
- UNSC Authorised: Most importantly, the mission must be authorised by the UN Security Council and accepted by both Russia and Ukraine.
- Excluding NATO troops altogether would help reassure Moscow and preserve the mission’s neutrality.
- Female Peacekeepers: The inclusion of female peacekeepers — as demonstrated effectively in India’s Liberia deployment — would be vital for building trust with local communities and addressing gender-based violence, which often escalates in conflict zones.
Moment to Redefine Global Leadership
- Beyond stabilising Ukraine, a peacekeeping mission led by the Global South would carry profound symbolic weight.
- It would mark a turning point in global diplomacy, signaling the emergence of a more balanced and multipolar world order.
- For too long, nations of the Global South have been sidelined in major geopolitical decisions.
- Leading a mission of this magnitude would affirm their growing role as architects of international stability.
- India, in particular, has the experience, the credibility, and the diplomatic balance to lead such an initiative.
- By stepping up now, it would not only help bring peace to Eastern Europe but also cement its position as a responsible and influential global power.
