Two days after invading Ukraine, Russia has praised India's "independent and balanced" position in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) after India abstained in a vote for a resolution that deplored Moscow's "aggression" against Ukraine.
Along with India, two other countries – China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – also abstained from the vote on Friday, 25 February.
The Russian embassy in India, welcoming the abstention, stated that it "highly appreciate[s] India's independent and balanced position at the voting in the UNSC."
"In the spirit of the special and privileged strategic partnership, Russia is committed to maintain close dialogue with India on the situation around Ukraine," it tweeted.
New Delhi has been consistent in striking a balance in its ties with Moscow and Western allies.
India is the only member of the 'Quad' alliance with Australia, Japan and the United States (US), that hasn't explicitly condemned Moscow's actions.
It hasn't even called Russia's moves in Ukraine an invasion.
The warm relationship between India and Russia go way back to the Cold War, when the Soviet Union was (and Russia continues to be) India's biggest arms supplier.
New Delhi also knows that Moscow is reliant on Beijing economically after all the sanctions that have been pounded by Washington and the European Union.
Any clear opposition to Russia's actions may bring it closer to China, emboldening the latter to implement aggressive policies along the Sino-Indian border or even in the Indian Ocean.
The US has been in close contact with India over its stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
It even urged India on Saturday to use its influence to protect the current international order.
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