Explained | Have there been changes in India’s foreign policy?

The story so far: By all standards, 2022 was a difficult year on the geopolitical and diplomatic stage, especially after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February. The most significant defence of India’s foreign policy was made by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, who won accolades back home for calling out western “hypocrisy” on Russian oil flows to India. The government’s stand through the year was a tough tight-rope walk: with the Prime Minister making his discomfort with the war clear directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin with the words “This era is not for war”, that became a catchphrase for the West, but at the same time refusing to accept western sanctions, growing military and oil trade with Russia, and seeking rupee-based payment mechanisms to facilitate them. The government kept channels open with repressive regimes like Afghanistan’s Taliban and the Myanmar Junta, opening a “technical mission” in Kabul and sending the foreign secretary to Nay Pyi Taw to discuss border cooperation. Despite a visit to Delhi by China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and disengagement at some stand-off points, India-China tensions at the Line of Actual Control remained high, and the year ended with an unsuccessful Chinese PLA attempt to take Indian posts at Yangtse in Arunachal Pradesh, signalling more such violent clashes could follow in 2023.