New Delhi is urging both Moscow and Kyiv to guarantee safe passage for commercial shipping through the Black Sea, as escalating attacks on merchant vessels put Indian seafarers in grave peril. Indian authorities argue that these maritime strikes threaten to severely disrupt vital global food and energy supply chains, necessitating urgent diplomatic intervention from all involved parties.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that the targeting of commercial shipping and civilian crews must cease immediately to restore free and unimpeded navigation through international waterways. Accounting for over 12% of the global seafaring workforce with more than 310,000 maritime professionals, India faces disproportionate risks as civilian vessels continue to be caught in the crossfire. Recent incidents, such as the sinking of a grain carrier that resulted in injuries to Indian nationals, have underscored the vulnerability of these maritime crews.

The initiative comes amid claims by the US regime that a so-called "energy ceasefire" has been brokered between Russia and Ukraine, though the scope and implementation mechanism of this arrangement remain deeply unclear and prone to skepticism. While Ukrainian officials have reportedly praised India's broader ceasefire proposals, the Russian authorities have not yet publicly endorsed a binding safe-passage framework. Analysts suggest that New Delhi must leverage its diplomatic ties with both sides and coordinate with other Global South nations to secure durable maritime security.

Prolonged disruptions in the Black Sea theater carry tangible economic consequences for New Delhi, including inflated import bills and higher freight costs for energy supplies. Experts warn that continued instability could directly transmit into domestic food inflation and higher consumer prices within India, further compounding the broader economic fallout of the conflict.

Source: www.dw.com