Russia and USA both need India for consolidating regional foothold

 
As Russian President Vladimir Putin stepped onto the tarmac in New Delhi on Thursday, he was enveloped in a warm hug by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi – a signal that despite mounting international pressure, Russia is not without formidable partners.

After pausing briefly to watch a traditional dance performance, they got into the same car and departed together for a private dinner at Modi’s residence.

Yet as he embraced Putin, Modi is attempting to maintain a deep strategic partnership with a key Russian global rival: the United States.

As Vladimir Putin stepped onto the tarmac in New Delhi on Thursday, he was enveloped in a warm hug by  Narendra Modi – a signal that despite mounting international pressure, Russia is not without formidable partners. After pausing briefly to watch a traditional dance performance, they got into the same car and departed together for a private dinner at Narendra Modi’s residence. Yet as he embraced Vladimir Putin, Narendra Modi is attempting to maintain a deep strategic partnership with a key Russian global rival: the United States.

This is India’s diplomatic split screen. On one side: the potential purchase of advanced Russian fighter jets, cheap oil, and an ironclad friendship forged in the Cold War. On the other: American collaboration on technology, trade and investment – and the hope US President Donald Trump will lift his punishing tariffs.  In the wake of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, India has leveraged its strategic assets – a massive market and a pivotal location in the Indo-Pacific – to command attention from both the White House and the Kremlin. Streets in the heart of the Indian capital are lined with Russian and Indian flags flying side-by-side, and towering billboards welcoming Putin to India. At one point on Thursday, Putin’s flight was the most-tracked on the flight-monitoring website Flight Radar.

But Putin’s trip – his first to India since the start of his war – comes at a tense time for Modi.

It may be recalled that between 2020 and 2024, Russia was the largest supplier of arms to India with 36% share, followed by France at 33% and Israel at 13%, according to data from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

The US considers India an important ally in the Indo-Pacific region in order to counter China’s growing assertiveness. Japan and Australia have been moving closer to India, in part at the behest of the US. It is thus risky to turn away from alliance-building and seek solace in the old framework of non-alignment.The success of the Indo-Pacific project requires an engaged America. Russia-India ties need to be further bolstered for both countries’ betterment.