Ever since the BJP took the wheel in 2014, India has been seen sidling up to the United States. This shift is evident across various domains, including defence, trade and strategic partnerships.
In 2016, India and the US signed the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA), facilitating mutual logistical support between their armed forces – with soldiers borrowing each other’s snacks.
Next came the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) in 2018, which enabled secure communication between the two militaries, essentially a classified, high-stakes version of WhatsApp for generals.
New F.R.I.E.N.D.S
By 2020, the partnership levelled up with the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA), allowing for the sharing of geospatial intelligence, because, apparently, Google Maps just doesn’t cut it in military strategy. Nevertheless, these agreements have supposedly bolstered military collaboration between the US and India.
And then there’s the Quad, a high-stakes poker game featuring India, the US, Japan, and Australia. Its primary goal? Keeping an eye on China – with muscle-flexing naval exercises every now and then.
India and the US now train their soldiers together, and 'Yudh Abhyas', their joint military exercise, is becoming so regular that they might soon start exchanging Diwali sweets and Christmas cakes. This exercise alternates annually between locations in India and the US. The 20th edition of Yudh Abhyas 2024, took place from 9-22 September 2024 in Rajasthan. Six hundred soldiers from the Rajput Regiment and an equal number from the US 1-24 Battalion of the 11th Airborne Division based in Alaska participated.
Trade, too, is blossoming. During Modi’s visit to the US in 2025, President Donald Trump gleefully announced India would be buying more US oil, gas, and, of course, F-35 stealth fighters.
Reviving old 'Druzhba'
Feeling left out, Russia glanced around the geopolitical dance floor and found an unlikely partner – Pakistan – the same Pakistan that used to be America’s favourite sidekick during the Cold War. But Washington, like a fickle lover, moved on after the thaw, leaving Pakistan to rebound straight into Russia’s waiting arms.
The two got serious in 2014 with a defence cooperation agreement, and by 2018, they had even formed a Joint Military Consultative Committee (JMCC).
At the third round of JMCC held in Islamabad in September 2021, Russian Deputy Defence Minister Colonel General Alexander V Fomin stated that “(Both) sides praised the dynamically developing mutually beneficial relations in the military sphere and confirmed their intention to strengthen the military cooperation with maximum efficiency.” They have been at it.
Their annual Druzhba (friendship) military exercise has been running since 2016, where Russian and Pakistani soldiers hold hands and train together. Druzhba (Friendship) VII, the latest in the series, was held in October 2024 at the National Counter-Terrorism Centre, Pabbi, with the participation of the Light Commando Troops of Pakistan Army and the Russian Military Contingent. Kavkaz 2020, hosted by Russia, while not a bilateral exercise, was another notable step in their military cooperation.
Russia, in its newfound enthusiasm, even started selling Pakistan Mi-35M Attack Helicopters, Mi-171Sh Transport Helicopters, and Kornet-E anti-tank guided missiles, significantly boosting its combat capabilities. There have been reports of potential deals for Russian air defence systems.
Gives and Takes
Pakistan’s first-ever National Security Policy, unveiled on 14 January 2022 by Prime Minister Imran Khan, called for “reimagining [the country’s] partnership with Russia in energy, defence cooperation, and investment”. Soon after, on 23-24 February, Imran Khan made a state visit to Russia. The Pakistani delegation had barely checked into their hotel when the Russian army invaded Ukraine. Nevertheless, bilateral relations, trade and energy cooperation were discussed. Russia agreed to invest in the 1100-km, $2.5 billion Pakistan Stream Gas Pipeline between Karachi and Kasur in Punjab – a project, expected to be completed this year, that will help service Pakistan’s increasing energy needs.
In the aftermath of devastating floods in 2022, Russia sent wheat supplies to Pakistan. In May 2023, Pakistan and Russia signed a bilateral trade agreement aimed at facilitating the smooth movement of goods and reducing customs duty for Pakistani products.
Russia has set its sights on Pakistan’s energy sector, eager to be the friend who not only lights the lamps but also supplies the oil to keep them burning.
In addition to joining hands on the Pakistan Stream Gas Pipeline project, Moscow is all set to become Islamabad’s go-to oil dealer.
The first shipment - a modest 100,000 metric tonnes of Russian crude - docked in Pakistan in June 2023, sealing an agreement that seems to please everyone except those imposing sanctions. In a delightful twist, Pakistan settled the bill in Chinese Yuan, gracefully sidestepping American sanctions. With plans to import a whopping 3.6 million tonnes of crude oil annually, Pakistan seems ready to keep the lights on.
In September 2024, Pakistan struck black gold in its territorial waters - announcing the discovery of hefty oil and gas reserves. Experts predict this find could catapult Pakistan into the exclusive club of energy titans. If the estimates prove true, Pakistan might soon be drowning in wealth instead of debt, and suddenly, every nation will remember how much they have always admired Pakistan’s rich cultural heritage.
Of course, there is the small matter of extracting the stuff. Former Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority member Muhammad Arif noted that just poking around to see how much is actually there will cost a cool $5 billion. And if all goes well, full-scale extraction could take four to five years.
Three months after the announcement, in December 2024, Pakistan and Russia discussed cooperation in offshore oil and gas exploration and refining.
The Hard Launch
In September 2024, Pakistan and Russia decided to make things official – again – by signing a memorandum of understanding, vowing to boost trade, energy cooperation, and regional connectivity, all while exchanging meaningful glances over stronger defence ties.
The plan? Build roads and railways to make trade smoother and – as a bonus - have a free trade agreement between Pakistan and Russia’s economic club, the Eurasian Economic Union – comprising of Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. But the friendship doesn’t stop at oil and trains.
The two countries also dreamed up a vision of Pakistani and Russian universities teaming up, and - perhaps the most ambitious idea of all - getting Pakistanis excited about learning Russian.
In October 2024, two agriculture companies from Russia and Pakistan signed barter deals to trade chickpeas and lentils from Russia in exchange for rice, mandarins and potatoes – further bypassing Western financial restrictions.
Of course, neither India nor Pakistan is going to completely abandon its old alliances. Pakistan still needs the US for trade and military support, and India still counts on Russian arms, no matter how many F-35s it buys.
As Winston Churchill once wisely noted, "America has no friends, only interests." India and Pakistan understand this perfectly. Both have mastered the delicate art of "running with the hare and hunting with the hounds" - smiling politely at one superpower while shaking hands with another.
And so, the grand geopolitical ballet goes on, with India and Pakistan gliding between Moscow and Washington, striving to keep their partners engaged while avoiding any unfortunate toe-stomping incidents.
(Akhil Bakshi, an author and explorer, is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and Explorers Club USA, and Editor of ‘Indian Mountaineer’. He is also the founder of Bharatiya Yuva Shakti, an organisation that ensures good leadership at the village level. He tweets @AkhilBakshi1. This is an opinion piece, and the views expressed above are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same.)