India, Oct. 9 -- External affairs minister S Jaishankar's statement that India has gone "beyond advocacy" to bring about a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine and an agreement on the safety of shipping in the Black Sea is welcome news. In a parallel back-channel process, India's good offices were used to facilitate a high-level direct engagement between the UAE and Iran, with the aim of easing tensions between the two States.

These developments indicate a nascent shift from the established diplomatic practice of the past few decades, when Indian foreign policy tended to shy away from international peacemaking initiatives. The recent instances of departure augur well for a rising power.

Major powers always project themselves as problem-...