The whole world, including India, is waiting anxiously as the tension between Russia and the western world continues to boil on the Ukraine front. Russia has around 1,00,000 troops and military hardware stationed at various points along its border with Ukraine. There are heightened fears that it is planning to invade its neighbour, although Moscow has repeatedly denied that it is planning to do so. The western allies are taking no chances, with the NATO placing its forces on standby and reinforcing its positions in eastern Europe with more ships and fighter jets. The US has put thousands of troops on heightened alert, meaning that they are ready to deploy to the region should the crisis escalate.
The US, the UK, and the EU have already said that Russia will be subjected to new sanctions on key individuals and sectors of its economy if it does invade Ukraine. Russia has already seen sectors like energy, finance and defence targeted by previous rounds of sanctions for its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. The tension between Russia and the West has the potential to develop into a full-blown war if Russia invades Ukraine. The world is already facing a serious crisis due to the raging Covid pandemic. India, which depends on Russia for military and energy requirements, will be affected if the tension spills over. There might come a time when both Russia and the West put pressure on India to take their respective side. The sanction on Russia has the potential to affect various military deals India made with Russia. Early resolution of the Ukraine crisis will be in the best interests of the entire world.