TEN CRITICAL QUESTIONS ON CURRENT GEOPLOITICAL AND NATIONAL ISSUES – 194

PRERNA FOR IAS

(ASSOCIATE OF SAMKALP)

TEN CRITICAL QUESTIONS ON CURRENT GEOPLOITICAL AND NATIONAL ISSUES – 194

1. Can India become a credible facilitator in the Russia–Ukraine conflict without abandoning strategic autonomy?

Answer: Yes, but India should see itself as a facilitator rather than a power that can impose peace. The supplied summaries say India is talking to both Moscow and Kyiv and has moved from merely advocating dialogue towards issue-specific diplomatic facilitation, including questions of Black Sea shipping, grain and energy exports. India's advantage is that it maintains substantial relations with Russia while also engaging Ukraine and Europe. However, credibility requires consistency, respect for sovereignty and acceptance that the parties themselves must agree. Strategic autonomy is most useful when it creates diplomatic bridges rather than strategic isolation.

2. In the India–U.S. trade negotiations, why may predictability be more important than obtaining the lowest tariff today?

Answer: Businesses make investment and supply-chain decisions for many years, while a low tariff can lose value if it is changed quickly. The supplied Indian Express editorial therefore argues for durable safeguards such as tariff ceilings, consultation before new duties and protection against discriminatory treatment. Recent reporting also confirms that negotiations continue but an agreement is not yet imminent. India should therefore negotiate not simply for today's tariff number but for tomorrow's certainty. Predictable market access can sometimes be economically more valuable than a temporary headline concession.