Index Investing News
Wednesday, August 27, 2025
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Home
  • World
  • Investing
  • Financial
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Stocks
  • Crypto
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Opinion
  • Home
  • World
  • Investing
  • Financial
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Stocks
  • Crypto
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Opinion
No Result
View All Result
Index Investing News
No Result
View All Result

Walking away from Russia isn’t an option

by Index Investing News
March 1, 2023
in Opinion
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A
0
Home Opinion
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


India’s historically special strategic partner Russia has been locked in a confrontation with the West over Ukraine. However, this could also be framed in reverse — that our natural partners and close friends are locked in a confrontation with Russia. The verdict on which of the two propositions is more accurate depends on when we regard the confrontation to have begun. If the start date is February 24, 2022, Russia is the belligerent one. If we look further back, the answer is less obvious. If we ask the two sides, their answers are poles apart. The ability to take a view on seemingly self-evident truths that is independent lies at the heart of India’s strategic autonomy. It is a path New Delhi has chosen — one that satisfies neither side.

The first few weeks of the Russian special military operation were met with expected hostility and castigation by western governments, and, though short of direct military action, were accompanied by a shrill media campaign. We were witness to information and psychological warfare in the western media about the abject failure of the Russian military strategy and its equipment on the grounds that Russian forces had not been able to capture Kyiv in one week. The sense of moral outrage over the killing of innocent Ukrainians, for all its validity, stood out in glaring contrast to the perfunctory coverage of thousands of civilian deaths and colossal devastation caused by military invasions in West Asia, otherwise referred to as collateral damage.

It is a lesson for us, yet again, since public memory is short, about how misleading, sensational, judgmental and instant analysis can be when it comes to matters of war and peace. The conflict is now a year old. It shows little sign of abatement or resolution, leaving aside the relative winter-induced quiet. We are in a cycle of response and counter-response. Russia has, and will continue to, pay a heavy price in different ways. So will Europe. But the biggest price will be paid by Ukraine.

It is tempting to recall here that the Soviet Union disintegrated and 15 States were born from it without a single shot being fired. This time the violence is disproportionate to the stakes involved. Russia has weathered the initial sanctions and other isolation measures better than expected. Its economy and finances are relatively stable. It has cards to play, which it is playing. The challenges to Russia are more in the medium- to long-term. Apart from the sanctions, which will take a few years to bite, they fundamentally arise from the lack of political reform without which meaningful economic restructuring is not possible. The other serious challenge is its dwindling population. A complete decoupling from Europe is not easy and may not happen, but Russia’s dependence on China will grow. We will see greater militarisation of Russia.

The pursuit of our relations with Russia is sometimes attributed to Indian sentimentality and the old school of thought. India is called upon to explain its relationship with Russia while no such accountability is countenanced by those who, for example, have flourishing political, economic and commercial ties with China, which sits on India’s borders. The attribution to sentimentality as a causative factor for India-Russia relations is an indictment of India’s strategic thought process.

Walking away from Russia is the equivalent of handing over Russia to China. India cannot afford to follow the West in this self-defeating enterprise, the implicit assumption of which is that China is a lesser threat than Russia. This may be true sitting in Europe or the United States, but not in Asia. Russia will remain relevant in India’s strategic calculus for reasons of geography, external balancing and, above all, to meet our gargantuan development needs. It is necessary to remind ourselves that India and Russia neither share a border nor do we have bilateral disputes.

It would, however, not be a surprise if New Delhi were to recalibrate its relations with Moscow in light of developments within Russia and the world at large. Our actions during the past year of the conflict speak for themselves. The diversification of the relationship to sectors beyond defence will be an immediate manifestation, as we have seen in the case of energy. Other steps, such as the use of national currency for trade, have been initiated.

India will also prove that its external relations are not a zero-sum game. This is a model at variance with conventional western thinking, but India will press forward on building its ties with the West with which we share many commonalities and interests. Nations are known to maximise advantage through multiple alignments. Even alliance partners are known to seek friends beyond the boundaries of their alliance. India’s position is not ideological but born out of a deep sense of who it is. Thus, if and when becoming part of an alliance is in India’s interest, we may expect it to do so. The devil is in the details.

Pankaj Saran is convenor of NatStrat and former deputy national security adviser and ambassador to Russia The views expressed are personal



Source link

Tags: IsntOptionRussiawalking
ShareTweetShareShare
Previous Post

Ward Dies & The Time Jump – Hollywood Life

Next Post

Monthly Dividend Stock In Focus: Permianville Royalty Trust

Related Posts

Trump must deploy the Nationwide Guard to Chicago instantly!

Trump must deploy the Nationwide Guard to Chicago instantly!

by Index Investing News
August 27, 2025
0

On Monday, President Trump signed an govt order ending cashless bail nationwide and creating rapid-response Nationwide Guard models that may...

Seize this opportunity to make it daring and delightful

Seize this opportunity to make it daring and delightful

by Index Investing News
August 27, 2025
0

The bundle not solely clearly articulates the Centre’s imaginative and prescient of a reformed GST, but in addition pushes all...

Scientifically Talking: You’re what your intestine microbes eat

Scientifically Talking: You’re what your intestine microbes eat

by Index Investing News
August 27, 2025
0

Crucial dinner company at your desk tonight gained’t pull up a chair or have interaction in chitchat. They're your intestine...

What we ignore whereas we’re speaking about President Biden –
Las Vegas Solar Information

What we ignore whereas we’re speaking about President Biden – Las Vegas Solar Information

by Index Investing News
May 31, 2025
0

Saturday, Could 31, 2025 | 2 a.m. Positive, it’s an actual story that deserves consideration, and the Biden debacle is...

Finish of look ahead to ex-NYPD Commish Bernie Kerik, 1955-2025

Finish of look ahead to ex-NYPD Commish Bernie Kerik, 1955-2025

by Index Investing News
May 31, 2025
0

Former NYPD commissioner Bernard Kerik, “America’s Cop,” who helped make New York the most secure huge metropolis in America and...

Next Post
Monthly Dividend Stock In Focus: Permianville Royalty Trust

Monthly Dividend Stock In Focus: Permianville Royalty Trust

Presentation: How to Avoid Financial Disasters

Presentation: How to Avoid Financial Disasters

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

RECOMMENDED

Rihanna Helps Wakanda Mourn Chadwick Boseman with Georgeous ‘Lift Me Up’ Music Video

Rihanna Helps Wakanda Mourn Chadwick Boseman with Georgeous ‘Lift Me Up’ Music Video

October 31, 2022
Business (and trade frictions with partners) as usual in Washington

Business (and trade frictions with partners) as usual in Washington

November 14, 2022
How the Proud Boys Breached the Capitol on Jan. 6: Rile Up the Normies

How the Proud Boys Breached the Capitol on Jan. 6: Rile Up the Normies

June 18, 2022
On the Docket: Atlanta v. Trumpworld

On the Docket: Atlanta v. Trumpworld

July 24, 2022
BREAKING: Adam Schiff to Run for Feinstein’s Senate Seat

BREAKING: Adam Schiff to Run for Feinstein’s Senate Seat

January 27, 2023
Otter Tail GAAP EPS of .17 beats by alt=

Otter Tail GAAP EPS of $7.17 beats by $0.03, income of $1.33B misses by $10M

February 17, 2025
The “Base Hit” Rental Properties That Will Make You Wealthy

The “Base Hit” Rental Properties That Will Make You Wealthy

May 9, 2022
Seattle council’s plan for housing in Sodo carries rewards and dangers

Seattle council’s plan for housing in Sodo carries rewards and dangers

March 29, 2025
Index Investing News

Get the latest news and follow the coverage of Investing, World News, Stocks, Market Analysis, Business & Financial News, and more from the top trusted sources.

  • 1717575246.7
  • Browse the latest news about investing and more
  • Contact us
  • Cookie Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • DMCA
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • xtw18387b488

Copyright © 2022 - Index Investing News.
Index Investing News is not responsible for the content of external sites.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • World
  • Investing
  • Financial
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Stocks
  • Crypto
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Opinion

Copyright © 2022 - Index Investing News.
Index Investing News is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In