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When war broke out between India and Pakistan in 1971 due to the crisis in East Pakistan, Jordan, Iran, and French planes were supporting the Pakistani army against India. The United States and the United Kingdom were also providing some moral and maritime assistance to Pakistan. In such a case, if there was one God with India, it was the Soviet Union. In fact, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Soviet Nikita Khrushchev signed the Indo-Soviet Treaty of Peace, Friendship, and Cooperation on August 8, 1971. An agreement was reached between the two countries that if there was an attack on India, it would be considered an attack on Russia as well. So as soon as the war of independence of Bangladesh started, Russia dispatched its naval fleet from Vladivostok. It also included several many armed ships and nuclear submarines. Moscow's navy has surrounded US ships and prevented them from entering Indian territorial waters. This did not only prevent a direct confrontation between India and the United States but also succeeded in liberating Bangladesh by defeating Pakistan. Now it can be understood how Russia has become an important partner of India by extending a helping hand in such a time.
It's been 50 years. Much has changed in geopolitics today, but if there is one thing that has not changed, it is the test-tested relations between India and Russia.
Historical view of Russia-Indian relationship:
India-Russia relations have gone through the most difficult times. This relationship overcame all geopolitical predicaments that emerged from time to time. This relationship was not formed in 1971 but even before the independence of India. From year to year, these ties became stronger. After the collapse of the USSR in 1991, many things changed in Russia and the world, but the brotherhood between India and Russia could not be broken.
Today, a new life has been breathed into this relationship which is evident from the recent summit held between Modi and Putin. This article will discuss what happened and how this summit managed to take India-Russia relations one step further. But before we start, let's take a look at the inevitable relationship between these countries.
Russia is a traditional friend of India with which its
relations are indispensable not only because Russia has repeatedly sided with
India in times of crisis but at the same time India's relations are deep in
almost every field. The relationship is in six major pillars: defense,
geopolitics, trade, counter-terrorism, civilian nuclear energy, and space.
From the perspective of defense:
Russia has been a major supplier of military hardware to India, even though over time India has diversified its relationship in defense. India imports 60% of its military hardware from Russia, for example, T-905 Bhishma Battle Tank, Akula II nuclear submarine, and INS Vikramaditya, etc. India is still the second-largest market for the Russian defense industry. In the words of Indian Foreign Secretary Mr. Harsh Vardhan Shringla, “Our ships won’t sail and planes won't fly without Russian spare parts."
Apart from selling arms and ammunition, India and Russia have also launched several joint military programs on state-of-the-art weapon cutting edge technology and research and development. Accordingly, Brahmos Cruise missile, Sukhoi SU-30mki, Illyushin II-276, Transport aircraft, and KAMOV KA-226 engine helicopter have been produced jointly.
Trade relations:
In terms of trade, trade between India and Russia has crossed 8.1 billion dollars. India exports about 2.6 billion dollars to Russia and imports 5.48 billion dollars. It is estimated that by 2050 this bilateral trade will cross 20 billion dollars. It is again a milestone.
Geopolitical aspect:
Speaking of geopolitics, Russia has joined hands with India on several issues, the best example being the Kashmir issue. Russia has not only raised its voice against India but also supported India by using its veto in the UN three times. In 1957, 1962, and 1971, the Soviet Union was the only country in the world to block UN resolutions calling for UN intervention in Kashmir. And then in 2019, when India removed Article 370 and Pakistan and China tried to raise the issue on the international stage again, even at that time Russia was the first country to address this issue as India's internal issue.
Russia also supported India's independence during the independence of Goa and India's first nuclear test. Apart from UNSC, Russia has also supported India on platforms like G20, BRICS, and SCO. Some strategic analysts also say that Russia invited India to the SCO to balance China's influence. But today geopolitical alignments are changing. Today, although relations between Russia and China have become stronger, there is still room for division. Hence, Russia wants to secure its own interests. And to support him in this cause, India is considered his most trusted friend. This is easily illustrated by PM Modi's recent summit meeting with President Putin. Let's try to understand this.
Read: Russia and China: The possibility of divergence?
Historic summit:
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in India on December 6, 2021. The visit was framed in a 6 hour tightly packed schedule. Although the meeting was short, the results were just as fruitful and significant.
First of all, the significance of this meeting can be deduced from the fact that this is the second personal visit of President Putin to Russia since the beginning of the Covid19 pandemic. Earlier, he had just visited US President Joe Biden in Geneva during the US Russia Summit. It must be recalled that President Putin did not attend the crucial meetings of the G20 and Cop26 during the Pandemic. He also rescheduled his visit to China on his behalf. But this is not the case with India and from this, it can be seen how important the bilateral relations between India and Russia are.
Apart from this, it is important for us to know that since Putin has held power in Russia, he came to India 9 times. And PM Modi and Putin have met almost 19 times on different platforms since 2014. From this, it is clear that the two leaders share exceptionally strong bonds. But foreign policy experts say the two countries relations are more important than the personal chemistry of the two leaders.
Key developments of the meeting:
There are many golden moments in a 6-hour power pack meeting. We will try to sum up this whole summit in three key developments. Firstly, is the big fat defense agreement; secondly, India and Russia's first-ever 2 + 2 dialogue, and thirdly, the Modi Putin meet.
Defense agreement:
Like every other India and Russia engagement this time too the defense had a front seat. There are two key developments in defense. First, come to the fore in the form of a joint defense venture. This includes a $600 billion deal. Under the deal, 6 lakh AK-203 Assault Rifles would be produced in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The 203 Assault Rifle can hit its target up to 300 meters. These rifles will be supplied to the Indian Army and provide them with a strategic edge.
India and Russia's military cooperation has been extended to 10 years. This means that in 10 years, India will be able to exercise Russia's advanced weapons. Keep in mind that the value of defense deals between the two countries has crossed 16 billion dollars. Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has mentioned that even in the coming decade, India and Russia will continue their strong defense cooperation.
Read:
As far as defense procurement is concerned, Russia is also a crucial source for India. The best example is the S400 missile defense system, the delivery of which started last month. India is procuring this defense system from Russia despite fears of US sanctions. It is expected that the S400 air defense system will be operational before the end of this year. Remember that the S400 missile defense system is one of the most dangerous and most advanced surface-to-air missile systems in the world. Several defense analysts have also compared it to Israel's Iron Dome. According to defense sources, the S400 will also be deployed in Ladakh keeping in view the issue of China. Now it can be understood that this defense system can play a crucial role in ensuring the security of India.
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2 + 2 dialogue:
Now the second part of this visit is the 2 + 2 dialogue. The 2 + 2 dialogue is a mechanism for high-level engagement between two countries where foreign ministers and defense ministers of both countries engage with each other. India has so far only engaged in 2 + 2 dialogue with the US. During this 2 + 2 dialogue, the foreign and defense ministers of India and Russia explored the common challenges and possibilities of the cooperation in areas such as emerging violent extremism or radicalization and other emerging challenges including issues in Afghanistan, Central Asia, etc.
Meet between Modi and Putin:
The third or major highlight was the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. At the outset of the meeting, PM Modi acknowledged the special strategic partnership between India and Russia and its active role during the second wave of the Coronavirus pandemic in India. The leaders of the two countries discussed the other key issue at length. During this meeting a total of 28 agreements were signed between the two countries covering a wide range of sectors; MOUs include business trade, energy, culture, intellectual property, geological explorations, agriculture, education, cybersecurity, civil nuclear energy, and a wide variety of sectors. The two leaders highlighted the progress of India-Russia relations and called for further strengthening.
This is how new geopolitical nexuses are forming in South Asia and across the globe.
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