Shipping, Energy and Grain: India Moves on 3 Fronts to Contain Ukraine War Damage

Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated that his country is conducting contacts and discussions with Russia, Ukraine, and European countries, aiming to bridge views on three main files linked to the Russian-Ukrainian war, including protecting civilian navigation, resuming grain exports via the Black Sea, and preventing targeting of energy infrastructure.

The Indian newspaper "The Times of India" quoted Jaishankar on Sunday as saying that New Delhi is trying to bring together the relevant parties to reach understandings on these issues, within the framework of diplomatic moves that go beyond dealing with the repercussions of direct military confrontations, to include protecting commercial interests and food and energy supply security at the international level.

The Indian minister clarified, on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta, USA, that the first file his country is discussing with Russia, Ukraine, and European countries relates to the necessity of not targeting civilian ships and workers in the maritime navigation sector.

Jaishankar said that protecting civilian ships and sailors represents one of the three axes India is working to discuss with the relevant parties, given the risks facing maritime transport movement due to the continuation of the war, and what may result from it of repercussions exceeding the boundaries of the conflict zone.

Resuming grain exports via the Black Sea
As for the second file, it relates to finding a mechanism that allows restoring flows of grain exports from Russia and Ukraine, which are among the major exporters to global markets, after shipping movement via the Black Sea witnessed a sharp decline due to the war.

Jaishankar confirmed that the flow of grains from the two countries has decreased significantly, pointing to the importance of reaching a formula that enables the resumption of exports, contributing to ensuring the continued arrival of supplies to international markets.

This file gains importance beyond the direct commercial interests of Moscow and Kyiv, considering the role played by the two countries in global grain trade, and what disruption of shipments can cause of pressures on food markets and international supply chains.

Energy Infrastructure.. The Most Complex File
Regarding the third file, the Indian Foreign Minister indicated that preventing the targeting of energy facilities represents the most complex issue among the three tracks, due to differences in the parties' perceptions regarding the facilities and activities that should be included in any potential understanding.

He explained that the concept of energy infrastructure is not limited to oil facilities, as it may include refineries and electricity networks, as well as ships transporting fuel, which makes determining the scope of required protection a point of divergence between the parties.

Jaishankar said that these differences make reaching an understanding on not targeting energy facilities more difficult, confirming that India is working to bridge positions and bring together the relevant parties to search for common ground, especially regarding the protection of energy infrastructure and fuel shipments.

According to the Indian newspaper, the issues raised by the minister relate to the repercussions of the war on global trade, as any disruption in the movement of commercial ships via the Black Sea can reflect on the transport of essential goods, raise shipping and insurance costs, and increase pressures on international supply chains.

Also, targeting refineries, electricity networks, and fuel tanker ships may lead to disruptions in energy supplies, with the possibility of this reflecting on prices in global markets.

These Indian moves place these three files within an effort to reach specific understandings between the warring parties and European countries, at a time when the Russian-Ukrainian war still casts shadows over maritime navigation security, food and energy markets, without the quoted statement indicating that an agreement has actually been reached or setting a date for a direct meeting between the parties.