On October 1, when India abstained from voting at the United Nations Security Council on a draft resolution against Russia for conducting referendums and annexing four regions of Ukraine, it was a reminder of New Delhi’s precarious tightrope walk on ties with Moscow. In the backdrop of the war in Ukraine and in the face of Western sanctions against Russia, India has continued to carry on oil and defence trade with Russia, even as it remains committed to deepening its relations with the West, including the U.S. In a discussion moderated by Kallol Bhattacharjee, Anuradha Chenoy and Ashok Kantha discuss India’s choices and actions in a changing geopolitical landscape, especially with regard to China. Edited excerpts:
The war in Ukraine has brought Russia and China closer than before. In this context, how can India safeguard its interests?
Anuradha Chenoy: It’s not that the Ukraine war has suddenly brought them together. The proximity has been going on since the end of the Cold War and it has gradually reached a peak now. It is linked to a combination of factors, such as Russia’s export of defence equipment, of energy, the two countries’ understanding of a multi-polar world, etc. — and also, from the rise of American paranoia about, and phobia towards, China. So, this closeness is not new, but it has increased. I think it is pretty irreversible.
