India is trying to sail in two boats at a time by participating in joint military exercise organized by Russia and maintaining close cooperation with the US. India participated in the joint military exercises this year in early September.
Russia initially launched its first joint military exercise, known as Vostok war games back in 2018. The event had seen massive participation of troops, estimated at some 300,000. Back in 2018, those joint military exercises also had enormous participation from China, which paraded its superiority and its strengthened relationship with Russia. As of September 1, 2022 these military ties have been renewed when Russia kickstarted its second joint military exercise – Vostok 2022. That said this year’s participation showed a sharp decline in numbers compared to the previous year’s. The drill entailed land, water and air maneuvers.
The interesting angle to the second exercise is that, India and China who have had a recent history of a noxious clash in 2020 over their border dispute in the Himalayas, are key participants, alongside others. India’s participation does not come across as a shocking stance; it has always maintained cordial relations and has purchased its existing weaponry from Russia. The superficial view of the exercises is that they are purely defensive but, it also comes across as sending a strong message that the recent Ukraine war has not made Russia weak.
The added intrigue in the whole scenario alongside India’s participation in the drill, and its geopolitical tractions with China, is its abstaining on voting pro Russia in the Security Council (of which it is a member at present). India has continued to build and especially solidify its ties with the West. The United States has recently strengthened its military association with India. New Delhi is trying to have have a cordial relationship with Washington as well as Moscow.
A glance from a Western perspective might not paint a good picture but this aligns with the Indian foreign policy as its relations with Russia are a result of a defense relationship. It can be tough to amend and change the focus of one’s foreign policy. Turning a blind eye to a nation like Russia, with whom India has had long partnership on defense and security puts India in a difficult balancing act. In regard to maintaining pragmatic friendship, India has been engaging in joint military exercises.
So India is walking middle ground by maintaining relationships with the US and Russia. Whereas, on the other hand, the tensions between these two keep growing exponentially. India was also actively involved in providing humanitarian assistance even though it abstained on voting against Russia in the UN. India’s decision to not vote and not condemn Russia’s war with Ukraine did come across as a jolt to the world. There are no direct stakes involved for India in the Ukraine crisis. Hence, it has abstained on voting and condemning Russia.
Striking a balance between the US and Russia is challenging for India. It is only aiming on emerging as amiable concerning upcoming Russia-China relations but it is also also engaging in military activities with the US near the Sino-Indian border region. Relationship with the Quad also seems to deepen from India’s end. The Quad is the officially formulated group of four countries, the US, Australia, India and Japan; initially formed in 2007, with the purpose of providing humanitarian and disaster assistance.
India’s balancing act is evidently causing uneasiness among the Quad members and other countries but Washington has as of now been accommodating of India’s stance. There have however been collective negative reactions towards India’s oil deals with Russia. This was later justified by S. Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs, as India is a ‘energy deficient country’.
Maintaining the relations both the sides has played well for India. It is being perceived as a sharp strategic action. India might take time to gradually distance itself from Russia considering the security partnership extends back decades. Re-orientating a country’s foreign policy overnight is not an easy task considering the stakeholders involved in the process. The diverse relations have proved to be to India’s benefit by reflecting its flexibility and positioning itself well in the current global clashes.
