The significance of Indo-Russian ties increases as the international system is in transition from a unipolar one with the dominance of one superpower to a multipolar one where many countries of differing capacity and status have a say and a way in international politics.
Author
Anuradha Chenoy, Adjunct Professor, Jindal School of International Affairs, O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Haryana, India.
Summary
Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi met President Vladimir Putin of Russia at the same time as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) celebrated its 75th anniversary, giving a clear signal that India will continue its path of strategic autonomy and choose its friends in accordance with its national interests. Putin showed that Russia is not isolated from the global majority.
The significance of Indo-Russian ties increases as the international system is in transition from a unipolar one with the dominance of one superpower to a multipolar one where many countries of differing capacity and status have a say and a way in international politics. Both India and Russia are invested in the multipolar system. India is a beneficiary of this current conjuncture with strategic relations with Russia on one side and the Western countries on other, that it can leverage with both sides and play a facilitator to peace in these combative times.
Given the context of the Russia-Ukraine war, PM Modi’s famous 2022 line “this is not an era for war” resonates further when he mentioned “the Global South’s expectation for peace and stability” to Putin. This is echoed in the joint statement on the imperative for peace and solution through negotiations based on international law and the United Nations (UN) Charter and the joint condemnation of terrorism suffered by both sides. The Indo-Russian engagement is demonstrated in multilateral institutions like the UN, the BRICS and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
Published in: Hindustan Times
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