Emmanuel Macron greeted him with a bear in front of the Elysée Palace shortly after he was re-elected president of France. In Berlin, German chancellor Olaf Scholz welcomed his “super partner”. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, during his visit to New Delhi, praised khaas dostor special friend.
Praises from European leaders in recent weeks for Narendra Modi have capped a frenzy of international diplomacy for the Indian prime minister, despite his refusal to sever ties. with Russia for the invasion of Ukraine.
Modi toured France, Germany and Denmark following a visit to India by Johnson and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, as Western leaders courted him and signed bilateral agreements aimed at binding New Delhi – seen as Asia’s key counterweight to China – is closer to the West.
“There is a perception that India is too big and too important to fit into these convenient definitions of ‘Either you are with us or you are against us,’” said Nirupama Rao, former foreign minister and Indian Ambassador said. to the US and China. “The stance that India has taken has largely helped India reinforce its own interests.”
After some initial criticism, Western leaders have been careful to avoid tense exchanges about New Delhi’s relationship with Moscow. Instead, with the Indian military dependent on Russian weapons, Britain and France announced a defense partnership aimed at diversifying their arsenals. The EU and UK have also sought to push ahead with negotiations on free trade agreements aimed at deepening economic links.
Some leaders, such as Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen, who met Modi in Copenhagen, have suggested that India could use its neutrality towards the conflict to “influence” Moscow .
“Everybody understands the fact that the political leadership in India is completely relaxed,” said one Indian official, referring to Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party’s dominance in domestic politics. For foreign leaders, “the best option is to align with [the BJP] on issues of mutual concern and keep the pressure mild on issues of mutual concern”.
Many Indians consider Russia a country oldest partner. Post-independence leaders including Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister, looked to the Soviet Union for economic inspiration. The country will continue to depend on military support to bolster its forces against arch-rival Pakistan.
Economic ties with the US and Europe have become much stronger but most of India’s weapons are still of Russian origin, meaning New Delhi continues to rely on Moscow for service support and logistics.
India stuck with its historic partner after the invasion, abstaining from UN votes denouncing Russia. It has also been sought to strengthen bilateral purchaseincrease imports of Russian oil prices fell as Western countries tried to isolate the Kremlin economically by imposing wide-ranging sanctions. However, the volume of India’s fuel imports from Russia is still lower than that of many European countries.
However, analysts say that, with India seen as a key geopolitical and economic alternative to China, international leaders are less likely to find irritating officials who are reacted violently to international criticism. Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in March denounced what he called a “campaign” against India over Russian oil imports.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz calls Modi a ‘super partner’ during the Berlin meetings © CLEMENS BILAN / POOL / EPA-EFE / Shutterstock
The European conflict has also drawn the West’s attention away from what India sees as a much more important issue: China’s military threat in Asia and the Indian Ocean. New Delhi and Beijing have been engaged in a military war on their Himalayan border since mid-2020.
C Raja Mohan, a senior fellow at the Asian Institute of Social Policy, said: “For the US, ‘the Russia question is not immune to the China question’. “On the China question, India’s centrality is obvious.”
But KC Singh, India’s former foreign minister, thinks India’s lack of focus on its conflict with Russia could further damage its relationship with the West if leaders like Biden conclude that New Delhi cannot be trusted in times of crisis.
“They are sending a signal to the West: How reliable can India be as a partner?” he say. “We have converging interests with the Americans, where China is concerned. Where Ukraine is concerned, we want to sit on the wall. Can you be a selective partner? ”
Others believe that India’s public comments, as well as extensive meetings with Western leaders, have clearly demonstrated its disagreement with Putin’s actions. While India did not directly condemn Russia, it did criticize the killing of civilians in Bucha without placing direct blame. Modi has also repeatedly urged countries to respect “territorial integrity”, which some see as a discreet rebuke to Moscow.
Piyush Goyal, India’s commerce minister and senior member of the BJP, told foreign reporters this week that India’s position is well understood globally.
“We recognize that the democratic world needs to be more interactive with each other and therefore all world leaders, including the European Union, have great interest in each other,” he said. to expand engagement with India.
Additional reporting by Chloe Cornish in Mumbai
