Will Russia jettison India and support Pakistan? Post Operation Sindoor move may upset New Delhi as Moscow and China...

What has happened to the foreign policy of India that its old and traditional friend, Russia, which had dispatched its submarine and ships to help India in its war against Pakistan in 1971, is moving closer to Islamabad? With China already supporting Pakistan and supplying it with 81% of its defence hardware, India was caught taking a nap when Moscow signed a deal with Islamabad after the India-Pakistan clashes took place in May. Is a new geostrategic scenario emerging in South Asia that may push New Delhi into a corner? Is New Delhi losing its old friends because of its increasing bonhomie with Russia? Has the foreign Policy of India failed? 

Russia, Pakistan sign deal

In what may be called a shocking awakening for India, Pakistan and Russia last week signed an agreement to revive and expand the Pakistan Steel Mills project in Karachi. Built in 1973 with the assistance of the Soviet Union, the steel mill was closed and dysfunctional for quite some time. The deal to revive and expand it  signals not only a commitment to the "long-standing" industrial partnership between the two countries, but also a shift in the geopolitical dynamics. And, this is not good for India. 

Russia- Pakistan 'natural allies'?

To add insult to the injury, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk said Pakistan and Russia were "natural allies" and that Moscow viewed Islamabad as an important strategic partner in the areas of economy and energy. The increased bonhomie between Russia and Pakistan is visible in other sectors as well. Both countries are ready to launch a direct freight train. The pilot project will be launched in August for the goods train consisting of 16 wagons and connecting the two countries through Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. 

Have US-India ties upset Russia?

Experts believe that Moscow is upset over India's increasing relations and defence cooperation with the US. New Delhi, which has maintained neutrality while leaning towards the Soviet Union during the Cold War, has changed its policy and it is now leaning towards Washington. After signing the civil nuclear deal with the US, India supported Washington at the world forum. It increased in the last decade when India bought more and more military hardware and signed several defence deals. It also became a flagbearer of the Quad, which is seen as a tool to counter China on behalf of the US. All these maneuvering steps by India made Washington insecure and it decided to move away from India.