India’s stand on Russia
India’s abstentions at the UN on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are not only based on nostalgia, but on hard facts and the reality of protecting its own national interests (“Time for India to redefine its relationship with Russia”, March 25). Any suggestion at this stage to “radically redefine” India’s relationship with Moscow implies that India should join the Western nations in their outright condemnation of Russia. That would be foolhardy. Russia has been a consistent friend of India and is an important defence partner. As far as the U.S. is concerned, it needs India in the Indo-Pacific to counter the rise of China, as its strategic interests lie more in the Indo-Pacific than in Europe. In the emerging international order, irrespective of the outcome of the Ukraine war, “multi-alignment” should therefore continue to guide India’s foreign policy.
