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  • Do you want to know why India was so soft on Russia? Take a look at his military, diplomatic, and energy ties
Do you want to know why India was so soft

Do you want to know why India was so soft on Russia? Take a look at his military, diplomatic, and energy ties

Latest News / By Ashley Cornell, email: [email protected] / April 14, 2022

<span-Klasse="Untertitel">A close relationship based on strategic needs.</span> <span class="Zuschreibung"><eine Klasse="Verknüpfung " href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/russian-president-vladimir-putin-and-indian-prime-minister-news-photo/1165923211?adppopup=true" rel="nofollow noopener" Ziel="_leer" data-ylk="slk: Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images">Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images</a></span>” src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/vyNAULxVLm4fZq_rnD.ZSQ–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTQ3Mw–/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/ Ab62miSrNdo2dVklDunWhw– ~ B / aD05Njc7dz0xNDQwO2FwcGlkPXl0YWNoeW9u / https: //media.zenfs.com/en/the_conversation_us_articles_815/79758cd7fe0843c6417af3a50eb33db6 “data-src =” https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/vyNAULxVLm4fZq_rnD.ZSQ – / YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTQ3Mw – / https: //s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/Ab62miSrNdo2dVklDunWhw–~B/aD05Njc7dz0xNDQwO2FwcGlkPXl0YWNoeW9u/https: //media.zenfs.com/en/the_conversation_us_articles_815/79758cd7fe0843c6417af3a50eb33db6 “/ ></p><p>As global democracies lined up to condemn Russia’s actions in Ukraine, one country was less open in its criticism — and it was the greatest democracy of all: India.</p><p>During the ongoing crisis, the government of India has carefully avoided taking an unequivocal position. It has abstained from voting on every United Nations resolution dealing with the matter and has refused to join the international community on economic action against Moscow, prompting a US warning of possible sanctions evasion. Even statements from India condemning the reported mass killing of Ukrainian civilians have stopped short of blaming any party, calling instead for an impartial investigation.</p><p>As an expert on Indian foreign and security policy, I know that understanding India’s stance on the war in Ukraine is complex. India’s decision to avoid an unequivocal position stems in large part from its dependence on Russia on a wide range of issues – diplomatic, military and energy.</p><h2>Moscow as a strategic partner</h2><p>This attitude is not entirely new. On a number of thorny global issues, India has long avoided taking a firm position based on its status as a non-aligned country – one of several countries not formally belonging to any power bloc.</p><p>Strategically, policymakers in New Delhi today believe they can hardly afford to alienate Russia, counting on Moscow to oppose any adverse United Nations Security Council resolution on the tense issue of the disputed region Kashmir will veto. Since the partition of the subcontinent in 1947, India and Pakistan have fought three wars over Kashmir and the region continues to be a source of tension.</p><p>Echoing the days of the Soviet Union, India has relied on Russia’s veto at the UN to shield itself from any negative pronouncement on Kashmir. For example, during the 1971 East Pakistan crisis – which led to the creation of Bangladesh – the Soviets shielded India from United Nations criticism and vetoed a resolution calling for the withdrawal of troops from the disputed region.</p><p>The story goes on</p><p>In all, the Soviets and Russia have used their veto power six times to protect India. India has not relied on a Russian veto since the end of the Cold War. But with tensions still running high over Kashmir amid sporadic fighting, New Delhi will want to make sure Moscow is on its side should it face the Security Council again.</p><p>India’s close relationship with Russia stems in large part from Cold War loyalties. India floated into Soviet orbit primarily as a counterpoint to America’s strategic alliance with Pakistan, India’s subcontinental adversary.</p><p>India is also hoping for Russian support – or at least neutrality – in its longstanding border dispute with the People’s Republic of China. India and China share a border of more than 2,000 miles (nearly 3,500 km), the location of which has been disputed for 80 years, including during a 1962 war that failed to settle the matter.</p><p>Above all, India does not want Russia to side with China in further clashes in the Himalayas, especially since the border dispute has come to the fore again since 2020 with significant skirmishes between the Indian army and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.</p><h2>Russia as an arms supplier</h2><p>India is also acutely dependent on Russia for a number of arms. In fact, 60% to 70% of India’s conventional arsenal is of either Soviet or Russian origin.</p><p>Over the past decade, New Delhi has attempted to significantly diversify its arms purchases. To that end, it has purchased more than $20 billion worth of military equipment from the United States over the past decade. However, it is still unable to escape Russia when it comes to arms sales.</p><p>To make matters worse, Russia and India have developed close ties to military production. For nearly two decades, the two countries have been jointly producing the highly versatile BrahMos missile, which can be launched from ships, aircraft or land.</p><p>India recently received its first export order for the missile from the Philippines. This defensive link with Russia could only be severed at significant financial and strategic cost to India.</p><p>Also, unlike all Western countries, including the United States, Russia was willing to share certain forms of weapons technology with India. For example, Russia has leased an Akula-class nuclear submarine to India. No other country has been willing to offer equivalent weapons to India, partly out of concern that the technology will be shared with Russia.</p><p>In any case, Russia is able to supply India with high-tech weapons at significantly lower prices than any Western supplier. Not surprisingly, despite significant American opposition, India chose to purchase Russia’s S-400 anti-missile battery.</p><h2>energy dependency</h2><p>Not only India’s defense industry depends on Moscow. India’s energy sector is also inextricably linked to Russia.</p><p>Ever since the George W. Bush administration ended India’s status as a nuclear pariah – a term it held for testing nuclear weapons outside the scope of the NPT – India has developed a civilian nuclear programme.</p><p>Although the sector remains relatively small in terms of total energy production, it is growing – and Russia has emerged as a key partner. After the 2008 US-India civil nuclear deal allowed India to participate in normal civil nuclear trade, Russia quickly signed an agreement to build six nuclear reactors in the country.</p><p>Neither the US nor any other Western country has shown any willingness to invest in India’s civil nuclear power sector, due to a rather restrictive nuclear liability law that states that the manufacturer of the plant or any of its components would be liable in the event of an accident.</p><p>However, since the Russian government has declared that it will assume the necessary liability in the event of a nuclear accident, it has been able to enter the nuclear energy sector in India. Western governments, however, are unwilling to give such guarantees to their trading companies.</p><p>In addition to nuclear power, India has also invested in Russian oil and gas fields. India’s state oil and natural gas commission, for example, has long been involved in fossil fuel extraction off Sakhalin Island, a Russian island in the Pacific Ocean. And with India importing almost 85% of its crude oil needs from abroad – albeit a small portion from Russia – it is unlikely to be able to turn off the Russian tap.</p><p>US Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently noted that India’s “relationship with Russia has evolved over decades, at a time when the United States was unable to be a partner with India,” and indicated that Washington is now ready to be that partner. But given diplomatic, military and energy considerations, it’s hard to imagine India deviating from its balancing act on Russia any time soon.</p><p>This article is republished by The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to exchanging ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Sumit Ganguly, Indiana University.</p><p><strong>Continue reading:</strong></p><p>Sumit Ganguly received financial support from the US State Department.</p></div></div></article><nav class= Post navigation

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