1 hour ago
By Anbarasan Ethirajan, BBC News, Delhi
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Russian President Putin
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is closely watched by his Western allies as he meets Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on his first foreign trip since his re-election in June for a third term. Mr. Modi arrived on Monday, shortly after a Russian bombing that resulted in the deaths of at least 41 people in Ukraine, including at a children’s hospital in Kyiv, causing global outrage. Pictures from Moscow showed a smiling Mr. Modi embracing the Russian president. A video of a cheerful Mr. Putin referring to Mr. Modi as “my dearest friend” and expressing his delight at seeing him has gone viral in India. Mr. Modi’s two-day visit to the Kremlin, his first since 2019, coincides with a NATO summit in Washington, where the 2022 invasion will be a major topic. India, a significant global economy, has strong ties with both Russia and the US, and officials in Delhi are downplaying concerns about the timing of Mr. Modi’s visit, stating that the annual summit is part of a longstanding strategic partnership and not related to the NATO summit. However, the US has expressed concerns, with State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller urging Mr. Modi to emphasize Ukraine’s territorial integrity in his discussions in Moscow. Mr. Miller also mentioned that the US has raised concerns with India regarding its relationship with Russia. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed disappointment at Mr. Modi’s meeting with President Putin, calling him a “bloody criminal.” The NATO summit in Washington, starting on Tuesday, is being held to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Western defense alliance formed as a counterbalance to the Soviet Union after World War Two. NATO countries have strongly opposed Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, while India and Mr. Modi have refrained from direct criticism of President Putin, instead advocating for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the conflict. As Western nations impose sanctions to isolate Moscow, President Putin has been engaging in summit-level meetings with leaders of key nations like China, India, Turkey, and others. There are concerns about whether Mr. Modi’s presence in Moscow could benefit President Putin, with some questioning if India’s message is playing into Russia’s hands. The bilateral visit this time is simply a scheduling priority, according to Vinay Kwatra, permanent secretary to the Indian foreign ministry, who denied any connection between the two events. India and Russia have close defense and strategic ties dating back to the Cold War era, with Moscow being a key supplier of weapons. The relationship between India and Russia extends beyond defense procurement, with a focus on defense cooperation, energy, and science and technology. Over the years, Russia has assisted in the construction of several nuclear power plants in India. Since the start of the Ukraine war, India has been purchasing discounted oil from Russia, resulting in a significant increase in bilateral trade to $65 billion, with India’s exports to Russia at $4 billion. Indian officials aim to address this trade imbalance, encourage Russian investment in India, and relocate some defense production to India. For the past two decades, the West, particularly the US, has strengthened ties with India as a counterbalance to China. India has also joined the Quad, a strategic forum with the US, Australia, and Japan, aimed at countering Chinese influence in the Asia Pacific region. However, with growing Western hostility, President Putin has developed closer strategic and economic ties with Beijing. El desarrollo no ha pasado desapercibido en India, rival de larga data de China.
Una pelea mortal en la frontera en disputa en la región de Ladakh en junio de 2020 mató a 20 soldados indios y al menos cuatro chinos y escaló las tensiones.
Hay aprensiones en India de que pueda quedar fuera de la ecuación Moscú-Pekín.
“Una opción que actualmente está siendo ejercida por Delhi es mantener abierta la vía de Rusia para mantener la amistad y evitar tomar medidas que puedan agravar aún más la deriva de Rusia hacia los brazos chinos que está siendo causada por las políticas de EE. UU. y Occidente”, dice el Sr. Saran.
Aunque Delhi ha diversificado su inventario de armas en las últimas décadas comprando sistemas de armas estadounidenses, francesas e israelíes, todavía depende en gran medida de Moscú y ha habido preocupaciones de que la guerra en Ucrania haya tenido un impacto en sus exportaciones de defensa.
“Hay informes de retrasos en los suministros de algunas piezas de repuesto y la entrega del resto del sistema de defensa antimisiles S-400. Entonces, definitivamente habrá alguna discusión al respecto durante la visita”, dice Anil Trigunayat, ex embajador y ahora Miembro Distinguido en la Fundación Internacional Vivekananda en Delhi.
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Los ciudadanos indios que fueron atraídos con falsas promesas de ofertas de trabajo lucrativas han terminado luchando en el ejército ruso
Delhi y Moscú no están exentos de sus propias diferencias. Ha habido varios casos reportados de nacionales indios que fueron atraídos con falsas promesas de ofertas de trabajo lucrativas y terminaron luchando en el ejército ruso en Ucrania. Cuatro indios han muerto hasta ahora en los combates.
Los funcionarios indios insisten en que durante esta visita, el Sr. Modi presionará a sus homólogos rusos para una pronta liberación de los indios, se estima que en decenas, que aún están luchando en la guerra.
India es consciente de que necesita tanto a Estados Unidos como a Rusia para contrarrestar a su rival China. Por lo tanto, siente la necesidad de mantener un equilibrio para no ofender a ninguno de los dos.
“India sigue una política de autonomía estratégica y múltiples alineaciones. Tenemos relaciones estratégicas tanto con EE. UU. como con Rusia. Estas son asociaciones mutuamente excluyentes”, dice el Sr. Trigunayat.