Russian President Vladimir Putin visited India for the first time since ordering a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The Kremlin chief met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who, unlike in previous meetings, did not publicly regret the killing of Ukrainian children or criticize Putin’s nuclear threats. The war in Ukraine was not mentioned in the final declaration signed by the two leaders. Modi stressed his good relations with Moscow. The Prime Minister of the world’s most populous country said during his meeting with Putin: “India is neutral, and India stands for peace.” Russian oil sales to India were at stake amid new US sanctions.
The two leaders showed renewed harmony in their bilateral relations. “I am confident that our friendship will give us strength in the future to face global problems and challenges. I hope we will become leaders for a more prosperous future,” Modi said.
The leaders talked about the war in Ukraine. Modi stated that his country “welcomes all initiatives and efforts aimed at finding a way to achieve a long-term, peaceful solution to this problem.”
In the final declaration, the two leaders expressed their “concern about the humanitarian situation in Gaza,” the “Iranian issue,” and climate change. However, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, now in its fourth year, has been ignored by Putin and Modi.
Profitable coexistence
At stake is a profitable coexistence. Russia, which was sanctioned by the West for attacking Ukraine, has become the main exporter of oil to India. The restrictions imposed by the Trump administration on the two major Russian oil companies, Lukoil and Rosneft, have complicated matters for Indian companies, which also support Ukraine and the United States in their bilateral game.
“Russia remains ready to ensure uninterrupted fuel supplies to the growing Indian economy,” Putin said to his interlocutor. Modi, in turn, highlighted that energy is one of the key areas in economic cooperation whose total volume is expected to reach $100 billion in 2030. Naturally, the Indian leader called for “more diversified and sustainable trade.”
The two leaders signed a final 70-point declaration acknowledging the blow dealt by the new US sanctions. The document stated: “The two parties highlighted the importance of promptly resolving issues related to investment projects in the energy sector, and agreed to address the various challenges faced by investors.”
Ironically, the leaders of the two warring countries demonstrated their “commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations” in their final declaration. However, Putin and Modi called for a “comprehensive reform of the UN Security Council” as Russia supports India getting a permanent member position in the body responsible for ensuring international peace.
The two countries call for the expansion of the Security Council “to reflect contemporary global realities and make it more representative, effective and efficient.” The body consists of 15 members, five of whom are permanent and have veto power over its decisions: Russia, China, the United States, France, and the United Kingdom.
However, the threat of a major war is not a distant dream. Washington is building a space-based anti-missile shield, Beijing is expanding its nuclear arsenal, Europe is rearming itself, and Moscow and New Delhi have fought wars this year. The world is witnessing a military escalation, and the leaders of these last two nuclear powers have called for an end to the war race in the universe, a scenario in which their countries lag far behind their competitors, the West and Beijing.
The leaders of Russia and India signed a final 70-point declaration highlighting “the need to quickly negotiate a legally binding instrument to prevent an arms race in space.” This treaty, according to both powers, should prohibit the placement of weapons in space and the use of force against satellites in other countries’ orbits.
Last May, Trump announced the development of the Golden Dome project, a shield against all types of missiles coordinated by a constellation of satellites. At a projected cost of $175 billion, this defense would theoretically protect the entire United States against Russian and Chinese ballistic, hypersonic and other missiles. Putin’s latest missile, the 9M730 Burevestnik, which is powered by a nuclear engine to travel tens of thousands of kilometers and attack from behind, may become obsolete when it is detected from space.
He also called on Modi and Putin to adopt a legally binding protocol that would strictly enforce the Convention on the Prohibition of Biological and Toxic Weapons. The Russian leader made the request just one day after an independent British investigation found he was “morally culpable” in the death of civilian Dawn Sturgess in the attempted poisoning of former Russian agent Sergei Skripal with the chemical agent Novichok.