4 minute read
With india in Mind
russian president vladimir putin welcoming prime minister Narendra modi India’s privileged strategic partnership with russia and the depth of its ties with moscow are very deep. Despite the radically changed strategic calculus, Indo-russian partnership will emerge stronger post-ukraine crisis
By vINAy ShuklA
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lobal developments over the five-month-old Russian “special military operation” in Ukraine have radically changed the strategic calculus since the Soviet collapse in December 1991 and the US-led unipolar post-Cold War world order. The Russians have learned the hard way that free market, global economic, and financial systems can be easily weaponised, and individual powers seeking to protect their core national interests do not have room for equitable security.
This was the biggest shock for Russia’s affluent urban population critical of the Kremlin’s policies during two decades of stability and Putin’s rule. A whole new class of rich professionals and businessmen who made their fortunes through entrepreneurial efforts and relocated their families to EU countries for the education of their children were deprived of their bank accounts and property by the democratic Western governments in the garb of anti-Russian sanctions.
It was a trauma for the pro-West liberals when the consumer-oriented multinationals like McDonald’s and Coca-Cola quit Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
McDonald’s opened its first fast fast-food restaurant in Moscow in January 1990. This was seen as Communist Soviet Union’s tryst with capitalism. But
closed down its 847 restaurants across Russia in March 2022.
However, on Russia’s National Day, June 12 its new owners reopened the chain of restaurants under a new brand: “Vkusno - i Tochka!” (Tasty and that’s it!). This ended Russia’s affair with the western-style free-market experiment. This also opened huge opportunities for businesses from “friendly” countries including India, which did not subscribe to the US-led western sanctions.
When Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime minister, India and Russia signed the ‘declaration of strategic partnership’ during President Vladimir Putin’s maiden visit to India in October 2000. Subsequently, “special” and “privileged” adjectives were added to it. This seemed more like a PR stunt. At that time, this may have looked more like a PR stunt, but today New Delhi’s actions in the aftermath of Russia’s Ukraine campaign not only reflect its policy of strategic autonomy also the depth of its ties with Moscow in areas like defence, atomic energy, and space cooperation. Ever since the beginning of the Ukraine crisis, India is not only sourcing crude, coal, chemicals, and fertilisers in large quantities from Russia but also providing safety certificates to Russian oil tankers. This is raising hackles in the West and China who have been spreading lies about India heading to again become an Anglo-Saxon colony.
According to a message posted by “Brief”- an anti-Kremlin Telegram channel:
India has become the main partner of the Kremlin. Even if the public opinion of Europe and America is outraged, the official authorities are more likely to agree with such a construction. The transformation of India into Russia’s main strategic partner is extremely unnerving for Beijing. “China has been thinking for too long about how to fit into the new model - India is ahead. It is still difficult to say how much Russian-Chinese relations have suffered. But Moscow is unhappy with Beijing’s caution, and Beijing believes that Russia is bluffing. President Xi feels cheated and PM Modi is delighted. Washington believes that Indian contacts are manageable, and Russia’s focus on Delhi takes Russia out of the Chinese orbit and increases the tension.”
Talking to an online meeting with BRICS business representatives ahead of the virtual summit under the Chinese rotating presidency, President Putin revealed that negotiations are underway with Indian chain stores to open shops in Russia. The Russian market opens immense opportunities for countries that have not joined anti-Moscow sanctions. Turkey and Israel, despite being close Washington allies, have refused to join the sanctions and have already jump-started to grab the opportunities, which India lost after the Soviet collapse.
After yet another expansion of NATO and the admission of Finland and Sweden at the Madrid summit, the West has completed its cordon sanitaire of Russia in the East and a new Iron curtain is being put in place.
The NATO Madrid summit had invited leaders of Australia, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand in a push towards its expansion in the Indo-Pacific to meet the Chinese challenge.
But the resurrection of colonial construct in the Indo-Pacific is a challenge for India as it makes the much-hyped “Quad” redundant for Washington. The great Indian and Chinese civilisations had coexisted for thousands of years and they would have to find modus vivendi for peaceful competition and coexistence to avert re-colonisation due to the “divide and rule” policy of our past colonial rulers.
MCdOnaLd’s OPened iTs FiRsT FasT FasT-FOOd ResTaURanT in MOsCOW in janUaRy 1990. This Was seen as COMMUnisT sOvieT UniOn’s TRysT WiTh CaPiTaLisM. BUT jUsT 12 yeaRs LaTeR, CLOsed dOWn iTs 847 ResTaURanTs aCROss RUssia in MaRCh 2022. This ended RUssia’s aFFaiR WiTh The WesTeRn-sTyLe FRee-MaRkeT exPeRiMenT
- The writer is a Moscow-based independent analyst. Views are personal.
