{
  "id": 9653067,
  "title": "Why India wants peace in Ukraine—and China doesn’t",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/why-india-wants-peace-in-ukraine-and-china-doesnt",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-24T23:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2026/09/25/why-india-wants-peace-in-ukraine-and-china-doesn-t"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "At first glance, India and China seem to share similar stances on the Ukraine war: maintaining close ties with Russia, purchasing Russian oil, and refusing to support the West's efforts to isolate the Kremlin. However, a closer examination reveals a significant difference in their objectives. While India desires the war to conclude, China is content with it persisting. These divergent positions stem from their differing perspectives on their relationship with one another. For centuries, Russia has been a crucial power for India to counterbalance China, serving as a buffer and safeguard. This arrangement provided India with geopolitical flexibility. However, this system collapsed following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Russia endured severe Western sanctions, losing access to Western goods and markets. In response, China emerged as Russia's largest energy importer, trading partner, and supplier of essential machinery and electronics. This shift is in stark contrast to the \"no limits\" partnership envisioned by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin prior to the war. Russia is now essentially a junior partner to China, which aligns well with Xi's strategy and explains his reluctance to compel Putin to negotiate with Ukraine. Xi's apparent commitment to a political settlement is merely rhetoric, as he fails to apply pressure on Putin to pursue peace. The rationale behind this stance is clear: a prolonged war keeps Russia dependent, providing China with greater leverage. Additionally, China hesitates to expedite negotiations over the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline, a project that would transport Russian gas from the Arctic through Mongolia to China. The pipeline's delay is due to disagreements on pricing, volume, and terms. China is likely counting on Russia eventually conceding to its terms. This situation extends beyond gas. As the war drags on, Russia will increasingly need to align its economy with China, granting China more opportunities to assert its economic and strategic interests. China benefits from resources, access to a captive market, technological influence, and political sway, while Russia merely experiences a temporary alleviation of economic damage from its severed ties with the West and continues to invest heavily in an unwinnable war. For India, this outcome is particularly concerning, as its strategic partner, once a vital asset, has been significantly weakened, while its rival China grows stronger and more assertive. This dynamic has prompted India to urge Russia towards peace. Recently, during India's BRICS summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented Putin with a 2,000-year-old Indian philosophical text, Tirukkuṟaḷ, translated into Russian, highlighting the book's themes of compassion and leadership. The gesture underscores Modi's plea for an end to the war, emphasizing the importance of preserving a stable regional balance of power. India seeks a Russia that remains an independent center of power, whereas China aims to maintain a Russia that is sufficiently weakened to remain dependent. The underlying conflict is not about Russia but rather a contest over which regional order in Asia will dominate: one with a more stable balance of power or one dominated by China. Nina L Khrushcheva, a professor of international affairs at The New School, emphasizes these dynamics and the implications for regional stability.",
  "summary": "The more leverage China accumulates over the Kremlin, the worse India’s regional position becomes.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Why India wants peace in Ukraine—and China doesn’t",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/why-india-wants-peace-in-ukraine-and-china-doesnt-9656609",
        "published": "2026-09-24T23:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}