Global politics is at the crossroads today. The war in Ukraine grinds on, Russia has dug into Donetsk, and a defiant Ukraine is desperate to gain ground, using Western drones, although a ceasefire glimmers on the horizon.
Yet, it is a catapult moment for countries like India that occupy what I call the zone of liminality. They are strategically autonomous, communicate with both sides and align with the global good. Prime Minister Narendra Modi could seize this moment to catapult India from a regional player to a leading power and global guru, outshining Jawaharlal Nehru’s legacy with a peacekeeping pledge that is bold and deft. Korea in 1953 was a gesture, Ukraine in 2025 could be a statement.
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I refer to this as Gaga diplomacy: In the style of Lady Gaga, self-assured, unapologetic, and poised to rewrite history. Who knows? By 2026, India could take a bow as the better angel and a vishwaguru for all seasons — if we play it right.
Jawaharlal Nehru sent 1,000 troops to Korea in 1953. This was a young, newly independent India playing the role of peace-whisperer under the UN flag. This is the hour for India to turn that whisper into a roar. Imagine 5,000 Indian peacekeepers stabilising Europe’s bloodiest conflict since World War II.
How does it unfold? Remember Vijayalakshmi Pandit’s advice to the UN General Assembly: “The more we sweat in peace, the less we bleed in war.” Today, it is time to turn that slogan into a reality where India’s peacekeepers stand tall – bigger than ever before. We do not dream small any longer, India delivers big. It is time to out-Nehru Nehru, and PM Modi can do so. As the peace talks in Riyadh go on, 5,000 Indian troops, Gorkhas, Rajput Regiment — all UN-hardened — can be ready for a peacekeeping role.
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Of course, US President Donald Trump is the wild card. He has cut Ukraine aid and is pushing President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to talk. PM Modi’s line to him should be: “Donald, you’re the deal king, let me help make it happen with India’s contribution.” To that I can imagine Trump, mid-golf swing, as he posts on Truth Social: “Narendra’s my guy, peace coming.” Spoiler alert: This is no joke.
India knows its way into the Trump heartland. $10 billion in US LNG imports for Trump’s peace nudge.
That is how the sweat would start. As Russia’s spring offensive stalls — mud, drones, fatigue — Trump could twist arms and the peace talks may bloom. A ceasefire could be sketched out by July-end — it could perhaps be a 50-mile buffer. Then, in August, some 3,000 Indian peacekeepers land – blue helmets and tricolour patches. The contingent could be scaled to 5,000 by fall. A triumphant Trump would boom: “I made this”. Europe funds it — $1billion from Macron and Starmer, desperados for stability. X crowns the deal, the Trump-Gaga-Modi trio as the stars of 2025.
By November, Ukraine’s shaky peace holds. Indian medics and schools dot the buffer. “India’s the glue”, social media hums. Modi’s star rises as Nehru’s ghost fades, his star is bolder, bigger, better. And he plays Trump right. Trump leads the peace, India delivers it. It is peacemaking swagger that can hook the world. By November, India becomes the act to watch. It is no longer risk averse. It can crash the party and own it.
Gaga diplomacy like Lady Gaga is all about shock and substance. Tell it on the mountain, India. Let these peacekeeping moves be tied to India’s ethos — ahimsa and unity in diversity. This is, after all, diplomacy with swag. “Look Ma, no hands” — that slogan captures it perfectly. It would mean India shedding its cautious shell and taking a calculated leap to prove it’s a global player, not a bystander. A true vishwaguru vibe. The no-hands vibe comes from confidence — it would mean India’s not scrambling, it’s poised.
The move should be framed as a commitment to lasting peace in Europe. It would be lofty, universal and hard to argue against. It would mean India positioning itself as the grown-up in the room, ready to clean up the mess. India would stake a claim as peace guarantor before the dust settles. It would have told Europe, “We’ve got your back,” to Russia it would say, “We’re still neutral,” and to the Global South, “We’re stepping up for stability.” It can prove its ability to stare down great-power tensions without blinking and that it has the chops to shape outcomes.
Go public with a statement: “India stands ready to deploy peacekeepers to Ukraine for humanitarian purposes and as border monitors, post-ceasefire once the guns go quiet, under a UN mandate or coalition framework, to ensure that peace endures”. It will need to be firm on intent even if keeps the details vague. Pair the move with a nod to India’s peacekeeping credentials over the years (Congo, Sudan) to remind everyone that New Delhi is serious. It will need to reassure Russia that it’s not a NATO ploy and pitch Europe on co-funding: “You want security guarantees? We’re your boots.” Ukraine will gets a heads-up too: India has enough goodwill there to build on. It could start small, a few battalions for civilian protection or ceasefire monitoring, pairing it with tech (drones, surveillance) showing that our troops are no cannon fodder but a modern force. Our military can adapt and deliver far from home.
By 2026, India’s not just the player — it’s the better angel and guru for all seasons. Ukraine’s peace showcases India’s moral heft — no guns that maim and kill, but more roses. Europe is grateful (funds flow), Russia’s quiet (the oil keeps coming) and Trump has all bragging rights. “Peace is our dharma,” preaches India with a true cause. Narendra Modi’s India is “vishwaguru 2.0”, tougher and more tangible than Nehruvian India ever was. Talks on permanent membership of the Security Council heat up.
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This is not strategic overreach. Five thousand troops are big, but doable — India has sent contingents of 2,00,000 to UN missions since the 1950s. Europe pays, borders hold (China can only watch, not poke). PM Modi’s Gaga flair softens to guru calm — sequins to robes. He is not playing boss, just guiding. The Global South is won over completely, India is their voice, the bridge to the West. No imperial dreams, just ready to sweat it out, smart in the true definition of the word.
So, India, play Gaga diplomacy, and take a bow. India’s quiet triumph resounds. It is no longer the little engine that could. That engine has topped the hill and history will clap. India can be the global maestro, bold, loud, unmissable, the nation with a steady hand, ready to put boots on the ground.
Play a zinger, India. Sweat in peace, do not hide your light, be the better angel and the guru for all seasons, the world will take notes. Rewrite the script on what a rising power can do in a polarised world. Gaga diplomacy (stand aside, Lady Gaga) delivers. Take a bow.
The writer is a former Foreign Secretary
