Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent Delhi visit, though only for a few hours, has heralded a new start to bilateral relations in more ways than one. First, the timing of the visit was significant. Putin came even as Russian troops are amassed on the borders of Ukraine, and on the eve of his virtual meeting with US President Joe Biden, where Ukraine figured majorly on the agenda.
Russia’s ties with NATO and the west have nosedived like never before. The economy is struggling and COVID-19 cases are rising. The visit also saw the beginning of the 2+2 dialogue between the foreign and defence ministers of both countries. Even with the threat of CAATSA hanging over it, India has gone ahead with the acquisition of the S-400 Triumf missile system, and an agreement for defence cooperation for the next decade was signed. With India’s closeness to the US and Russia’s close ties with China, both India and Russia sent a message to their respective adversaries. Much has already been discussed and analysed about this.