Is India walking on the edge of the sword regarding relations with Russia and America?

Posted on 7th Mar 2022 by rohit kumar

After the situation arising after Russia attacks Ukraine, if any country is facing the biggest challenge then it is India. This is to say the experts of foreign and strategic affairs.

 

He believes that in the current situation, India is kind of walking 'at the tip of the sword' where it is facing the challenge of maintaining harmony between its relations with Russia and America.

 

Former diplomat and foreign affairs expert Navtej Sarna while talking to the BBC said that so far India has been able to maintain that harmony. However, he also says that the challenge before India to maintain relations with these two countries is also very high.

 

America is constantly under pressure on India to clarify its position against Russia. After a quad meeting on Thursday, US President Joe Biden insisted that there would be "no excuse or evasiveness" for Russia's attack on Ukraine.

 

Biden's point was towards India because other countries included in the 'Quad' like Japan and Australia are openly criticizing Russia and they seem to be standing with America in this matter.

 

There was also a meeting of the US Senate on Wednesday in which India's stand was discussed. During the discussion, US South Asian Affairs Minister Donald Lu said that US officials have spoken to India on this issue and tried to tell that a statement criticizing India regarding the attack on Ukraine will be very important.

 

'India was never in favor of war'

 

Navtej Sarna says that it is another matter that India did not participate in the 'voting' in the United Nations Security Council, but despite this, India has never been in favor of war.

 

He says, "Despite abstaining from voting, India has also taken the initiative to provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine and has not distanced itself from the 'Charter' of the United Nations which calls for restraint and ending the war with Russia. An appeal has been made. India also wants that the problem should be solved only through dialogue and not through war.

 

Experts also believe that this test situation for India is also because while India's economic and strategic cooperation with America has increased significantly in the last few years, India has been dependent on Russia for the supply of defense-related products.

 

In the year 2018 itself, India had signed an agreement of 500 million US dollars with Russia for the supply of 'Surface to Air Missile' with long-range capability.

 

India has also paid the first consignment of money for this. Russia has also made it clear that its ongoing military operation in Ukraine will not affect the missile supply to India and it will be given to India within the stipulated time frame.

 

Old relations between India and Russia

 

Navtej Sarna says that India and Russia have had strategic relations since the seventies and India has been dependent on Russia for the supply of weapons. Apart from this, India and Russia have also cooperated in the field of space missions and energy.

 

Although India's attitude was criticized during the meeting of the US Congress, it was also said that India's dependence on Russia for defense undertakings and weapons has also come down by 53 percent.

 

Speaking to the BBC, Harsh V Pant, Head of the Department of International Studies at King's College in London, said that the US also knows that the 'Quad' is just a forum of cooperation and not an alliance. Therefore, there is no pressure of 'quad' on the 'stand' of India.

 

They say that the kind of relations that India and America have had, in the same way, India has relations with Russia as well. Pant says that America has never imposed any sanctions on India. However, such a situation did come once in the year 1998 when India did not sign the 'Nuclear Treaty'. But these restrictions were also removed within a year.

 

Both Russia and America are important for India

 

Pant says, "India knows that America is also important for it and Russia is also important. However, domestic politics in India has been anti-American and Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister also has a lot on the domestic front regarding the nuclear treaty with America. Difficulties had to be faced."

 

Also Read: Attack on Ukraine: India distances itself from both Ukraine and Russia in the UN, know seven reasons

 

Harsh V Pant says that there is also a question of China's ambition in Asia and in this context India is very important for America. It is not in a position to sever ties with India.

 

He says, "If America wants to take on China, then it will have to maintain better strategic relations with India. America is equally important for India."

 

He says, "Even when America's relations with Iran started deteriorating, it was saying that India should also end its relations with Iran. But India did not do this because countries have their diplomacy and requirements. So the US also did not put that much pressure on India.

 

At the same time, senior journalist Abhijit Iyer Mitra says that India cannot publicly condemn Russia but has made constant appeals to end the war and restore peace.

 

He said that the stand that India has adopted has been similar to that of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates because each country has its priorities and strategic needs.