India and Russia
-N K Tripathi
Putin descended from his plane and shook hands and hugged Modi with a friendly ease at a time when India is cautiously
recalibrating its international relations.
I visited Russia 10 years back and found this country to be beautiful with friendly people. Very few two countries have such a long and sustained friendship without fissure at any time. Nehru, being socialist had a propensity for Soviet union, even before Independence. He established the foundations for India’s relationship with the Soviet Union, advocating for a non-aligned policy that allowed India to maintain ties with both the West and the USSR during the Cold War. The Indo Soviet Treaty of Friendship was a landmark agreement signed in August 1971 during the Cold War. This helped India to counter American bullying during Bangladesh liberation. Soviet Union and later Russian Federation became the major supplier of arms to India with transfer of technology. President Putin visited India in 2002 and a Strategic Partnership was established which enhanced the cooperation in political security, trade, defence and science and technology.
With the arms twisting of India by Trump, the importance of the present visit of Putin is of great significance to New Delhi and other major capitals of the world. Russian friendship also moderates Chinese threat to India.
The present Summit is basically reiteration of strategic convergence of both the countries
and Indian exhortations to Russia to end the Ukraine war. Modi says India is not neutral but on the side of peace. Secondly; it is for the Russian commitment to the energy need of India. Thirdly, it is for exploring trade which is quite negligible at present except India buying oil.
India’s friendship with Russia has survived Cold War, the unipolarity of the post-Cold War and the present multipolar world. However, India has to balance its relations with US and Europe. China’s wooing of Europe and US irks both Russia and India alike. Russia wants to retain its influence in Asia through India. Indo- Russian friendship will last for a longer time
