India and Russia Relationship: Why India is not targeting Russia over invasion in 2022?

Introduction

The relationship between India and Russia is one of the longest and most comprehensive in the world. As two of the most influential countries in the international sphere, it is no surprise that the two nations have been able to maintain cordial relations for many years.

Recently, however, tensions have arisen between the two countries following Russia’s annexation of Crimea and its involvement in the conflict in eastern Ukraine- Russia and Ukraine war. Despite this, India has yet to take any decisive action against Russia.

In this blog post, we’ll discuss why India has chosen not to target Russia over its invasion of Crimea and its involvement in the conflict in Ukraine.

Historical context

• India and Russia have a long and complex history that dates back centuries. In the 19th century, India was part of the British Empire while Russia was an emerging global power.
• The two countries India and Russia were at odds at times, with Russia supporting Britain’s rival in the Great Game, Afghanistan.
• During the Cold War, India adopted a policy of non-alignment and sought to maintain good relations with both the United States and the Soviet Union.
• After the end of the Cold War, India and Russia formed a strategic partnership that continues to this day. The two countries cooperate in areas such as defense, energy, space exploration, and trade.
• Recently, however, tensions have been rising due to Russia’s involvement in the conflict in Ukraine. India has not targeted Russia over its actions, despite calls from other nations to do so.
• To understand why India is not targeting Russia, it is important to consider the historical context of their relationship.

India’s current relationship with Russia

• India has long been an important strategic partner of Russia, and in recent years the two countries have sought to strengthen their ties.
• India is Russia’s second-largest arms customer, and the two countries are actively collaborating on military technology and nuclear energy projects.
• They also share a growing economic relationship, with India recently signing a deal to purchase a large number of Russian advanced fighter jets.
• India is a member of the Russia-led Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, which works together to promote regional security and cooperation.
• India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin have held multiple meetings in recent years and have further strengthened the two countries relationship.
• Despite the challenges posed by the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, India and Russia have managed to maintain strong economic and political ties.

The benefits of India not targeting Russia

1. One of the primary reasons why India is refraining from targeting Russia is to maintain its strong strategic partnership with the country.
2. India has a long-standing relationship with Russia and both countries have been actively collaborating in areas such as defense, energy, and trade.

India has traditionally been one of the biggest buyers of Russian military equipment, making it an important partner for the latter in this sector.
3. Furthermore, the two countries have also signed several agreements which serve to strengthen their cooperation and protect each other’s interests.
4. In addition, India also has strong economic ties with Russia, making it more difficult for them to take sides against their ally.

Russia is one of India’s major trading partners and is also one of its largest sources of energy supplies. By taking a stand against Russia over the issue of Ukraine, India risks damaging these vital economic links.
5. The Ukrainian crisis has already had serious implications on the global economy, including dragging down global oil prices which would further affect India’s own economy.

This makes it even more important that India keeps out of this conflict and continues to pursue strong ties with Russia.
6. Moreover, India does not want to be seen as taking sides between two major world powers. By being impartial, India can help mediate between them and try to bring about some sort of resolution or peace agreement that would be beneficial for everyone involved.
7. Additionally, India stands to gain by maintaining friendly relations with both Russia and Ukraine.

As mentioned previously, Russia is one of India’s key suppliers of energy, while Ukraine is home to the Black Sea port city of Odesa – a key link in facilitating Indian exports to Europe and beyond.

Thus, having good diplomatic relations with both nations will benefit India’s overall economic prospects.
8. Additionally, India can use its diplomatic clout to encourage peaceful negotiations between Russia and Ukraine instead of resorting to hostilities.

9. Given India’s current status as a major regional power and a significant member of the United Nations, it could use its influence to de-escalate tensions and prevent any potential war between the two countries.
10. Lastly, India stands to gain through increased regional stability should a peaceful solution be reached.

The potential risks of India targetting Russia

• India and Russia relationship is one of strategic partnership and cooperation, and as such India has a great deal to lose by choosing to target Russia over the ongoing invasion.
• For example, India has long been a beneficiary of Russia’s arms supply, and in fact, Russia remains India’s largest supplier of defense equipment.
• Additionally, Russia is a key player in India’s energy security, providing large amounts of natural gas and oil to India at discounted prices.
• On top of this, the risks of increased tensions between India and Russia could be severe.
• Given the long-standing history of conflict between India and Pakistan, any escalation of tensions between India and Russia could draw Pakistan into the fray, leading to an unpredictable regional conflict.
• Similarly, a hostile response from Russia could lead to sanctions against India or even a direct military confrontation.
• Furthermore, any attempts by India to target Russia would also likely damage relations between India and other countries, particularly those in the West which have close ties with Russia.
• The resulting diplomatic crisis could not only harm India’s standing in the international community but could also negatively impact trade with other countries and foreign investment in the Indian economy.

Conclusion

India and Russia relationship India’s decision not to target Russia over its recent invasion of Ukraine is understandable in light of the longstanding relationship between the two countries.

Russia has been a key ally for India in terms of both economic and military cooperation, and India stands to gain significantly from continuing to foster this relationship.

Targeting Russia over the invasion of Ukraine could result in sanctions or a breakdown in the cooperation between the two countries, leading to potential losses for India.

For these reasons, India’s decision not to target Russia appears to be a sensible one.