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Strategic Vision vol. 11, no. 53 (September, 2022)
Quagmires and Fortune Russia-Ukraine war an opportunity for Indian vision of multipolar world A. D. Gnanagurunathan
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nyone with even a bit of interest in international politics may raise the question as to whether people in Asia should be bothered about a conflict in faraway Europe. The answer to the question is both yes and no. For example, a rice-eating, oil-producing Brunei, with limited international ambitions, had little to worry about the course of Russia-Ukraine war so far. On the other hand, a rice-eating, oil-consuming India, with expansive global ambitions, has a great deal at stake in the course and outcome of the conflict. Therefore, it is imperative to situate states in appropriate contexts to understand and analyze their actions and responses.
The members of the international community have been experiencing the economic fallout of the RussiaUkraine war to varying degrees. African countries dependent on Russian and Ukrainian wheat had their food security compromised severely due to restricted supplies. Western sanctions on Russian oil and gas have not only jeopardized the energy security of Europe, but also most countries around the world. Soaring oil prices resulting from supply shortages have accelerated commodity prices across the board, leading to disaffection and popular protests, both in rich as well as not so rich countries, and forcing governments to initiate various mitigative measures.
photo: Just Click’s With A Camera The intentional flooding of a small village north of Kyiv created a quagmire, submerging fields but prevented a Russian advance on the capital.
Dr. A. D. Gnanagurunathan is a Non-Resident Fellow at the Taiwan Center for Security Studies (TCSS), National Chengchi University, Taipei.