Why India isn’t denouncing Russia’s Ukraine war
https://www.vox.com/22982698/india-russia-ukraine-war-putin-modi
New Delhi’s balancing act reflects its interests in keeping a longstanding relationship with Russia.
Jen Kirby notes:
India can offer what a lot of countries can’t: a genuine claim to having good dealings with Washington and Moscow. “The US wants India to be able to leverage its close relationship with Russia in a way that would help serve [our] goals right now,” Kugelman said. “Which means that the US wants India to do what it can to convince Putin to end this war.”
https://www.vox.com/22982698/india-russia-ukraine-war-putin-modi
New Delhi’s balancing act reflects its interests in keeping a longstanding relationship with Russia.
Jen Kirby notes:
India can offer what a lot of countries can’t: a genuine claim to having good dealings with Washington and Moscow. “The US wants India to be able to leverage its close relationship with Russia in a way that would help serve [our] goals right now,” Kugelman said. “Which means that the US wants India to do what it can to convince Putin to end this war.”
For reasons to do with history and strategy, India will not abandon Russia.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/03/india-military-support-russia-ukraine-war/627035/
So, the Biden administration’s democracy-versus-autocracy framing has few takers in India. New Delhi’s Russia policy will change, gradually, but not because of American or Western pressure. Instead, it will change as a result of the growing strategic dissonance between the two, as Russia finds itself more and more beholden to China and uncomfortable questions are raised about India’s enormous dependence on Russian arms and how vulnerable it is to Russian behavior.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/03/india-military-support-russia-ukraine-war/627035/
So, the Biden administration’s democracy-versus-autocracy framing has few takers in India. New Delhi’s Russia policy will change, gradually, but not because of American or Western pressure. Instead, it will change as a result of the growing strategic dissonance between the two, as Russia finds itself more and more beholden to China and uncomfortable questions are raised about India’s enormous dependence on Russian arms and how vulnerable it is to Russian behavior.