Pragmatic manoeuvres
Complementing the China détente are the efforts made by Moscow and New Delhi to refurbish a legacy relationship. External affairs minister S Jaishankar is scheduled to meet Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow, and President Vladimir Putin may attend the bilateral summit in India later this year. India-Russia trade, buoyed by Delhi's crude purchases since the start of the Ukraine war, reached a record high of $68.7 billion in FY 2024-25, though Indian exports accounted for only $4.88 billion. The New Delhi-Moscow-Beijing triangle is ridden with strategic contradictions, particularly since Russia has become dependent on China and the latter continues to ignore India's concerns vis-à-vis Pakistan's support for terror and now, nuclear brinkmanship. But the current geopolitical moment is such that all three countries see merit in sidestepping the contradictions and embracing common interests.
It is tempting to view India's growing ties with Russia and attempts to balance relations with China as a response to the US recalibrating its stance on Pakistan and the growing dissonance in Washington-New Delhi relations. For sure, Trump's obstinacy on tariffs and claims on Operation Sindoor may have provided an impetus, but New Delhi's pivot is also in line with India's stated resolve to maintain strategic autonomy. It must pursue this path, rather than be bullied by any nation to forgo its national interests and sign on to lopsided trade deals. New Delhi's foreign policy choices need not be viewed through binaries but as an expression of enhancing ties and removing irritants based on its national needs and geopolitical priorities.
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Hindustan Times
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The Hindu
38 minutes ago
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Hindustan Times
an hour ago
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