Putin meets with Indian envoy, bypassing pressure
Russia remains a crucial supplier for Asian nation
NEW DELHI — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday met with the Indian foreign minister at the Kremlin, highlighting Russia’s attempts to break through its isolation from the West by pivoting to an increasingly powerful Asian nation.
From the start of Russia’s war with Ukraine, India has taken a neutral stance, citing its longtime ties with Moscow and insisting on its right to navigate a multipolar world its own way.
Russia has long been the most important military supplier for India, and as international sanctions in response to the war began constricting Russian oil sales, India rapidly expanded its purchases to become one of the chief buyers of discounted Russian petroleum. In doing so, India has frustrated US efforts to isolate Russia since the Ukraine war began in 2022, providing a much-needed financial boost to Moscow’s coffers.
“Everything is in your hands,” Putin said, “and I can say that we are successful because of your direct support.”
Putin added that he intended to discuss the situation with the war in Ukraine and invited India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, to visit Russia.
The Indian foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, said that he had brought a written letter to Putin from Modi in which the Indian leader conveyed his thoughts on the state of Russia-India relations.
Earlier Wednesday, Jaishankar conducted a separate meeting with his Russian counterpart. He said that his discussions would include “the state of multilateralism and the building of a multipolar world order.”
“We will focus on bilateral cooperation in different spheres, adjusting it to changing circumstances and demands,” Jaishankar said, according to a Russian video broadcast. “We will discuss the international strategic situation, conflicts and tensions where they are.”
Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, said Wednesday that his country’s relationship with India goes beyond bilateral ties. The two nations are interested in “building an international political and economic system that would be open and fair for everyone,” he said in televised remarks before the meeting.
Despite the Biden administration’s efforts to make supporting Russia costly, US officials have avoided open criticism of India. Instead, President Biden and others have courted Modi, even welcoming him to a state dinner over the summer. That courtship has continued even after US law enforcement officials accused Indian officials in November of plotting the assassination of an American Sikh activist in the United States.
While Biden generally has emphasized common ground with India, the Indian government’s crackdown on human rights is a clear point of friction in the relationship. Protesters demonstrated against Modi’s efforts to stifle dissent during the state dinner.
Their relationship is driven by Modi’s desire to assert his country as an economic superpower and Biden’s need for a powerful ally to serve as a counterbalance to Russia and China.
After meeting with Jaishankar for more than an hour, Lavrov praised India’s “responsible approach” to global issues, which he said extended to its position on Ukraine. He said the two men had spoken about the war but did not elaborate, noting that it was one of several issues that were discussed.