Propaganda has always been a key instrument of war and therefore it is not surprising that it is being extensively used by both sides in the wake of the Russian intrusion into Ukraine. The Americans and the NATO forces have no counter arguments to the assertions made by Vladimir Putin regarding their “unjustified’’ invasion of Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Libya and many other countries. However, the Russian leader is being painted as the real villain of the situation that has emerged in the present context. What is on test is whether the US or its allies are in any position to intervene effectively to defuse the current crisis by deploying their armed forces.
This appears to be not happening since the repercussions of any such action could not only escalate the conflict but could lead to the commencement of a war outside the borders of Europe. India has displayed immense maturity by not taking sides; New Delhi is more concerned about getting its citizens back to safety instead of reacting in favour of one party or the other. Washington seems to be very upset with the Indian leadership and is understood to have sent out a cable, later withdrawn, which sought to put New Delhi along with some other countries in the Russian camp. This is an unfortunate development which could come at a time when both the largest and oldest democracies of the world are looking forward to further strengthening their relations. It is difficult for any Nation to forget that during the time of its worst crisis, which country stood by its side.
In the present case, Russia, earlier Soviet Union, had come to India’s rescue multiple times by taking a position in the United Nations as well as sending a clear signal to the United States when its seventh fleet was all set to enter the Bay of Bengal with the intent of helping Pakistan which had unleashed genocide in what is now Bangladesh. This time, the United States, is evidently caught up in a dilemma of dealing with a country it has always considered as its number one enemy. In 1991 when American troops attacked Iraq to apparently liberate Kuwait, people all over the world watched the military operations live, thanks to CNN, which revolutionized the TV world. The CNN provided the Americans with a great propaganda advantage and many of its reporters who were embedded with the troops gave a view of the going ons from an American perspective.
The same happened when the second time America and its NATO allies, invaded Iraq looking for weapons of mass destruction which were never found. At that point of time, the CNN and BBC often presented contrary pictures though it was extremely difficult to ascertain the truth from the distorted versions that were put out in public domain. This always happens when the conflict is seen from the eyes of the superior forces. However, while NATO countries have been able to convey their positions effectively in the past, it is increasingly becoming difficult for them to state things when the war is happening in Europe. The supreme irony is that most of the allies expect Germany, that was conquered by them in the two world wars, to attack Russia in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine. The war has to stop and some sort of ceasefire should be brought about through pro-active and hard-core diplomacy. It is in nobody’s overall interests. And this is where India can perhaps play a major role since it has relations with both the Americans and Russians that can be utilized to bring about peace in the region.