Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Moscow for a two-day visit to resume the India-Russia annual summit, which had ceased since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. This visit was high in diplomatic symbolism as it was his first visit to Russia since the Kremlin ordered its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago (since 2022). After re-assuming office in June for a third term, Modi also broke with tradition of visiting a neighbouring country first. All eyes from the United States and Europe to China were on Modi’s visit and how it would shape the future of their strategic relations.

Walking the diplomatic tightrope

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, there has been criticism of Russia across the world and voting has been conducted in the US Security Council to isolate Russia because Moscow violated the basic principles of the United Nations Charter regarding non-violation of another country's sovereignty and territorial integrity. There were all kinds of speculations regarding the future trajectory of India-Russia relations as India walked a tightrope between principles and interests. But when Russia faced hundreds of sanctions from Western nations and its assets were frozen, India decided to purchase concessionary Russian oil despite Western strictures to pursue its national interests in pursuit of energy security. India has always chosen the path of dialogue, diplomacy and peace, which was reiterated by Modi in 2022 at Samarkand, Uzbekistan, by saying, 'This is not the era for war’ in front of Putin. Modi also met the Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenesky during the G7 meetings in Japan last year and Italy this year.

During the ten years of Modi as a PM visited the US nine times with Russia six times; India deepened its partnership with the US and its allies through the Indo-Pacific strategy and Quad; India also diversified its defence imports not only depending upon Russia. It was assumed that all these developments would weaken Russia-India ties, allowing Russia to drift closer to China. But all these predictions appeared false after  Modi got the people’s mandate for a third consecutive prime ministerial term and decided to visit Moscow to resume their bilateral summit agenda that had been pushed under the carpet since the Covid-19 pandemic. Modi had before the election visited Italy for the G7 summit, while senior officials had participated in Switzerland for Russia Ukraine peace talks.

Reaffirming strategic partnership

Modi arrived in Moscow on July 8 and was received at the Vnukovo- II airport by Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, indicating the importance of his visit. As the anti-Russia military alliance NATO met in Washington to commemorate the 75th anniversary of its formation, President Vladimir Putin welcomed Modi in his unique style by hosting a private dinner with him and offering a personal tour of his residence in Novo-Ogaryovo, giving a strong message to the West that he’s not isolated and friendless. Putin conferred Russia's highest civilian honour, the Order of St Andrew Apostle, on Modi as a diplomatic gesture to reassure New Delhi that Russia will continuously support India, no matter how China tried to influence it, because Moscow would never become the junior partner of China. The meeting represented a geopolitical hedge for Modi and Putin, two leaders who are otherwise drifting closer to rival camps led respectively by the United States and China. India does not want Russia to grow overly dependent upon its rival China. Pankaj Saran, former Indian ambassador to Moscow, told BBC that "one option currently being exercised by New Delhi is to keep the Russia channel open to maintain the friendship and avoid taking any measures which may further aggravate Russia's drift into Chinese arms that is being caused by US and Western policies." Similarly, Russia does not  want to let New Delhi align ideologically with the US and its allies completely. Moreover, Russia always wants to retain its long-standing ties with India, a massive market for its defence and energy exports. The Moscow meeting was to understand each other's priorities and concerns according to the evolving geopolitics and reassure each other of their commitment to deepening their relationship in the coming years.  

India and Russia have shared close defence and strategic relations since the Cold War days, and Moscow remains a key supplier of weapons and energy. India, which maintains one of the largest militaries in the world, has long-standing border disputes with its neighbour Pakistan and China. Unlike the US and Western countries, Russia never allowed its soil to be used for anti-India activities like Khalistani extremism. Since the outbreak of the Ukraine war, Russia has faced multiple sanctions and has been cornered by Western nations, which propelled Moscow to develop closer strategic and economic ties with Beijing. On the other end, India is a member of Quad, a strategic forum with the US, Australia and Japan, which is seen as a grouping aimed at countering Chinese assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region. So, it is obvious that both nations understand each other's priorities and compulsions, and the meeting between Modi and Putin signalled the strategic importance of their ties in an evolving world order. 

So far as the Ukraine war is concerned India has always urged for cessation of hostility and pursuing the path of diplomacy and dialogue, which only can lead to permanent peace. A solution to war cannot be found on the battlefield; dialogue and diplomacy are the way forward, Modi reiterated to Putin at the Kremlin. "Peace talks do not succeed amidst bombs, guns and bullets. For a bright future for our new generation, peace is most essential. I assure you and the world community that India is on the side of peace," Modi declared, even as Russian missiles were said to have targeted a children's hospital in Ukrainian capital Kyiv and killed children and adults besides causing immense destruction. Modi squarely told Putin that the death of innocent children was painful and terrifying, referencing the hospital strike.   

Walking its own chosen path

Nonetheless, it is India’s well recognised policy of strategic autonomy that can help it engage both with the West while balancing ties with its time-tested partner Russia. Because every nation pushes an ideology based on its own national interest, if the West is pushing for an ideology to the rest of the world that is in the interest of the West, if Russia is taking policies that serve Russian interests, China is going to do things serving Chinese interest, then India also doesn't hesitate to pursue an ideology that is going to serve Indian national interests today and its dream of becoming a developed nation. It is not just a policy of neutrality or balancing; it is more like India walking its own chosen path.

Sources:

Roy, P. (2015). DECODING INDIA’S’NEIGHBOURHOOD FIRST’ POLICY. The Indian Journal of Political Science, 76(4), 1024–1029. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26575650

 BBC News. (2024, February 23). What are the sanctions on Russia, and have they affected its economy? https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60125659

Ethirajan, A. (2024, July 9). Modi in Russia: Indian PM’s balancing act as he meets Putin. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpd91pe5r9go.amp

Lau, S., & Saeed, S. (2022, September 16). India’s Modi tells Putin: This is ‘not the era for war’ POLITICO. https://www.politico.eu/article/narendra-modi-tells-vladimir-putin-war-has-no-place-in-todays-era/

Livemint. (2024, July 9). Putin welcomes ‘dear friend’ PM Modi at ‘cozy setting’ in his home, shows off horse stable, offers tea, berries | WATCH. Mint. https://www.livemint.com/news/world/putin-welcomes-dear-friend-pm-modi-at-cozy-setting-in-his-home-shows-off-horse-stable-offers-tea-berries-watch-11720489348022.html

The Hindu Bureau & The Hindu Bureau. (2024, July 9). Modi in Russia highlights: PM departs for Austria after fruitful two-day visit. The Hindu. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/pm-narendra-modi-russia-visit-putin-talks-live-updates-july-9-2024/article68383655.ece

Maynes, C. (2024, July 8). Modi’s Moscow visit points to enduring friendship with Putin’s Russia. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2024/07/08/nx-s1-5032082/india-russia-modi-visit-putin#:~:text=Yet%20Modi's%20Moscow%20visit%20is,diplomatic%20settlement%20to%20the%20conflict.

Soldatkin, V., & Soldatkin, V. (2024, July 9). Modi tells Putin that ‘heart bleeds’ when children are killed, day after lethal strike on children’s hospital in Kyiv. ThePrint. https://theprint.in/diplomacy/indias-modi-tells-putin-that-heart-bleeds-when-children-are-killed/2167168/

(The writer is PhD Research Scholar, University of North Bengal,India. Views are personal. He can be contacted at E-mail: senapurba404@gmai.com ; Twitter (X): @Indapurba95)