Veteran American journalist and academic Terril Jones has said that India holds a unique advantage in potentially mediating the Russia-Ukraine conflict, given its ability to engage with both Moscow and Kyiv—something Washington has struggled to achieve.
Speaking to ANI, Jones observed that while the United States maintains channels with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, dialogue with Russia has proven far more challenging. “Putin can be very stubborn, and maybe nothing will come out of these things. India, however, is in a position where it can speak to both and get the ear of both leaders in a way that other major countries can’t. When a large country can play the role of mediator, that may be a logical way forward,” he said.
Jones added that although Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indian government have not openly emphasized such a role, India has the leverage to facilitate dialogue. “Wouldn’t it be rather amazing if Prime Minister Modi was the one who negotiated a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine—and even won the Nobel Peace Prize for it?” he remarked.
Commenting on US President Donald Trump’s efforts, particularly at the Alaska summit, Jones suggested that Trump expected more than was realistically possible. “He thought he could get some kind of resolution from Putin just by sitting down with him. That works in business, but not in politics where wars and national stakes are involved,” he explained, drawing parallels with Trump’s meetings with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, which also yielded little outcome.
He stressed that high-level summits like the G7 or bilateral meetings usually build upon months of groundwork by diplomats and negotiators, which was lacking in Trump’s approach. “Alaska was a disappointment—to him and to Americans as well,” Jones concluded.
Jones, who has reported for nearly four decades—including 18 years in Japan, China, and France—is now an academic teaching international journalism.
