Opinion | Putin’s visit to India reveals the anxieties of a changing world order
Despite Russia’s display of defiance and India’s quest for autonomy, US policy shifts are pushing both into uncharted geopolitical territory
Titled “World wants the Ukraine war to end, but Russia doesn’t seem serious about peace”, this was a rare public intervention by diplomats, using an Indian outlet to influence public opinion in the host country ahead of a sensitive bilateral visit.
Russia’s ambassador to India published a response, titled “Europe’s 4 Treacheries Are Impeding Peace in Ukraine”, where he accused European governments of being the real warmongers, pinning the blame on Western interference before and during the war. All of a sudden, New Delhi became the site of intense diplomatic contestation over feckless Russian aggression.
New Delhi slammed the op-ed penned by Western European diplomats, describing it as “unacceptable and unusual”. The message to external interlocutors was that, regardless of Western attempts to isolate Putin, India would exercise strategic autonomy in the context of bilateral relations with Russia.
The second layer of signalling was bilateral. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the two countries’ strategic partnership, which was declared during Putin’s first state visit to India in 2000.