Russia-India-China trilateral: Can Moscow mediate peace on LAC?

The virtual conference is scheduled to take place on Tuesday

Indian paramilitary soldiers keep guard as an Army convoy moves on the Srinagar- Ladakh highway at Gagangeer | AP Indian paramilitary soldiers keep guard as an Army convoy moves on the Srinagar- Ladakh highway at Gagangeer | AP

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will come face-to-face—albeit virtually—with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Tuesday. The two, along with their Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, will take part in Russia-China-India virtual conference.


The meeting comes at a time when tensions between India and China are heightened following a clash at Line of Actual Control (LAC) between the two armies in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed.


It is expected Russia—an old Indian ally and a new-found close friend for China—will try and play the role of a mediator.


Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be in Moscow to attend the 75th Victory Day Parade. This is the first in-person event with world leaders in the midst of a pandemic. Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe is also expected to be in attendance.


Russia has been kept in the loop about the events in the last few weeks. On June 17, Nikolay Kudashev, Russian ambassador to India, tweeted, “We welcome all steps aimed at de-escalation at the LAC, including the conversation between the two FMs, and remain optimistic.”


Foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla had kept Russian ambassador in Delhi abreast of the tensions on the border. However, this was before the violence which resulted in the death of soldiers. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Pesko has been quoted as saying that Kremlin was concerned about the escalating situation. “But we consider that the two countries are capable of taking necessary steps to prevent such situations in the future and ensure that there is predictability and stability in the region and that this is a safe region for nations, first of all, China and India,” he said.


While the video conferencing might not allow for any mention of the India-China clash, Singh’s presence in Moscow—he is on a three-day visit—certainly does. The meeting also gives the countries an opportunity to battle a common enemy—coronavirus.

This is not the first time that Jaishankar and Wang Yi would be in contact since the LAC violence. In a phone call after the incident, Jaishankar had asserted that Chinese action was “premeditated and planned.” “It reflected an intent to change the facts on ground in violation of all our agreements to not change the status quo,” the external affairs minister had told his Chinese counterpart.


Both sides have committed to bringing down tensions. However, the anti-China sentiments are at an all time high in India.