INDIA – RUSSIA RELATIONS

INDIA – RUSSIA RELATIONS

A Special & Privileged Strategic Partnership.

The Story of Russia

COLD WAR PHASE

1. 1955: Nehru visited the USSR & Nikita Khrushchev visited India. [Nikita Khrushchev announced that Russia supports India’s sovereignty over Kashmir & Goa]
2. 1962: Transferred technology to produce MIG – 21 to India. (Earlier denied to China. Rising proximity of the USSR with India did not go well with China).
3. 1966: USSR brokered a peace treaty between India & Pakistan. (The Tashkent Agreement)
4. 1971: Indo – Soviet Treaty of Friendship & Co-operation. [20 yrs].
5. 1985: Rajiv Gandhi visited. (Trade Co-operation was to extend to 15 yrs & $1.1 bn credit for power generation, coal mining, etc. The Soviet Union also wanted to set up an Asian Collective Security System. (Idea mooted in 1969)
6. 1988: Multitude of defence equipment were sold to India & the relationship was upgraded from buyer seller to development partners. (Now R&D, training & services were to be done jointly)

POST COLD WAR PHASE

1. 1993: Treaty of Friendship & Co-operation revived.
2. 2000: Strategic Partnership signed. International North South Trade Corridor (INSTC)--a multimodal infrastructure project was initiated by Russia, India & Iran. India Russia Inter Governmental Commission (IRIGC) also initiated.
3. 2010: Partnership upgraded to Special & Privileged Strategic Partnership.
4. 2012: Putin visited India. [$1.6 bn deal signed. Su – 30 fighter jet & $1.3 bn for 71 Mil Mi-17 military helicopters.]
5. 2014: Druzhba - Dosti between Russia & India. Russia annexed Crimea peninsula from Ukraine. The West imposed sanctions
6. 2017: Sanction on Russia by USA.
7. 2018: Historic Agreement signed between India & Russia. $5.43 bn deal signed for S-400 Triumf defence system.
8. 2022: Russia attacks Ukraine over alleged fears of Ukraine joining NATO. India abstains from voting against Russia in UN. The oil supply from Russia is sustained. The Quad accepts India’s stand on the issue.

CURRENT ASPECTS

Russia Ukraine Crisis

1. Russia does not want Ukraine to join the European Union (EU) & North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) [It is a military alliance of US and European Countries. It consists of 30 members.]
2. Russia is sceptical that if this happens, it will enable deployment of NATO forces in the vicinity of Russia (which Russia does not want).

 India Ukraine Relations

PM Modi talks to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelinsky; conveys India's readiness to contribute to any peace efforts.

BACKGROUND OF RELATIONS WITH UKRAINE:

1. India was one of the first countries to recognize Ukraine. Government of India recognized the Republic of Ukraine as a sovereign country in December 1991 and established diplomatic relations in January 1992.
2. The Embassy of India in Kyiv was opened in May 1992. Ukraine opened its Mission in Delhi in February 1993 – its first in Asia.
3. Both the leaders discussed the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Mr Modi reiterated his call for an early cessation of hostilities and the need to pursue the path of dialogue and diplomacy.
4. The Prime Minister expressed his firm conviction that there can be no military solution to the conflict and conveyed India’s readiness to contribute to any peace efforts.
5. He emphasized the importance India attaches to the safety and security of nuclear installations, including in Ukraine.
6. Mr Modi underlined that endangerment of nuclear facilities could have far-reaching and catastrophic consequences on public health and the environment.

INDIA ON RUSSIA – UKRAINE CRISIS

1. In a recent report, New York Times focussed on India's possible role in pressing for peace between Russia and Ukraine amidst the visit of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s to Moscow.
2. It also reported that India is trying to refashion India's tradition of non-alignment into a more commanding strategy of "all alignment".
3. The daily also highlighted that if the peace-making efforts succeed, it can bring a more prominent place for India in the global order and bring it closer to the long-sought prize, a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

WHAT IS INDIA’s STAND ON THE RUSSIA UKRAINE CONFLICT?

1. Expressed displeasure: India has made its disapproval of Russia’s action clear even if it has refrained from voting against it on substantive resolutions in United Nations forums, including the Security Council.
2. Limited outcry: The maximum extent that India has gone to is of Indian PM openly telling Russian President Vladimir Putin in Samarkand (September 2022) that the present age was not one of war.
3. Peaceful resolution: India has advocated a return to diplomacy and dialogue and has intervened in specific cases with Russia. For example, to prevent it from endangering the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant (in Ukraine) or to allow the export of Ukraine foodgrains.
4. Minimal outcomes: But all the above steps are far from attempts to mediate or bring the parties to the negotiating table.

SIGNIFICANCE OF RUSSIA

Defense and Military

1. Russia is India’s largest arms supplier. Joint development of defence systems such as Brahmos Cruise missile, Ilyushin/HAL, KA 226 Helicopters.
2. Major defence Purchases – such as Sukhoi Su-30 MKI, S-400 Triumf, T.90s Bhishma, Akula-II, INS Vikramaditya, Mil Mi-17 and Tu 220M3 bombers.
3. Defence exercises like INDRA & Tsentr 2019.
4. Geo Political and Geo Strategic
5. Russia has been an All-weather Friend of India and supported India in multilateral forums like UNSC. (UN)
6. Russia is an important partner in countering China in Asia.
7. Russia is instrumental in balancing the ‘west'.
8. India conducts a 2+2 dialogue with Russia.

Economic:

1. Trade (Bilateral) to increase to $30bn by 2025. (2021- 8.13 bn)
2. Russia is a key player in Make in India program.(esp. Def. products.)
3. An India – EEU (Eurasian Economic Union) FTA is on the cards.
4. Energy sector – Kudankulam nuclear power plant. Oil refinery (Rosneft); SLOC – Chennai to Vladivostok

Cultural:

1. Indian languages, like Tamil, Bengali, Pali, Sanskrit are taught in Russia.
2. 2015 – Year of India Culture ‘Namaste Russia’ celebrated in Russia.
3. Bollywood is gaining popularity. Indian dance music & yoga is becoming prominent.

Challenges in the relation:

1. Divergence on Russia’s disapproval over the concept of Indio – Pacific. (Russia says, that it is a mis construct and being prompted by US, Japan & Australia. to Counter China). However, Modi made it clear in his speech. – Indo Pacific is based on inclusiveness, openers & ASEAN centrality & unity. (2018)
2. India’s increasing engagements with USA & Russia’s increasing engagements with China & Pakistan
3. Low quality and delayed arms exports by Russia.
4. Low profile economic relations as evident from low bilateral trade (US $10 billion) as compared to other partners like china, japan, etc.
5. Russia’s opposition to the QUAD grouping of US and India.

Way forward

1. Connecting with the Russian Far-East: Connectivity is another driver in the strategic partnership with underlying commercial advantages and overall economic development.
2. Parallel to the multimodal International North-South Transport Corridor, the proposed Chennai–Vladivostok Maritime Corridor (CVMC) will sharpen India’s strategic intent in the South China Sea and the Indo-Pacific region, with a naval presence securing its energy and trade shipments from the Russian Far East.
3. Leveraging Multilateral Institutions for Improving Relations: Promote mutually beneficial trilateral cooperation between Russia, China and India that could contribute towards the reduction of mistrust and suspicion between India and China.

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