Strategic Signals |
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to New Delhi was choreographed to convey a message that went far beyond ceremonial optics. India laid out a welcome that few global leaders receive ~ an unmistakable reminder that despite a polarising global environment and persistent Western attempts to isolate the Russian President, New Delhi intends to preserve room for manoeuvre in its foreign policy. Yet, the grandeur of the reception contrasted sharply with the modesty of the outcomes, revealing the careful balancing act India must perform in an increasingly unforgiving geopolitical landscape.
The most striking feature of the visit was what did not happen. Despite Mr Putin assuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi of uninterrupted supply of Russian fuel, there were no major announcements on discounted Russian crude, even though India’s energy calculus has been dramatically reshaped by punitive US tariffs and pressure from Washington to scale back imports from Russia. Nor was there a........