As Europe Roars Against Russia, India Doubles Down on Moscow

Vladimir Putin lands in Delhi. Narendra Modi greets him with full honours. Last week, the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit unfolded not as a relic of Cold War nostalgia, but as a blueprint for the post-Western order. And if Washington feels that it can afford to strain its relationship with India so as to apply pressure for an end to the war in Ukraine, Brussels has an opportunity here.

Sixteen agreements have just been signed: Defence pacts, trade corridors, critical minerals supply chains, pharmaceuticals, joint ventures in AI and space, a fast-tracked free trade deal with the Eurasian Economic Union. Moscow’s oil flows unchecked to Indian refineries. And beneath it all, a “special and privileged strategic partnership” has been reaffirmed – which is another way of describing India’s quiet defiance of American sanctions.

This is no mere photo-op. It is a seismic shift. As Europe roars against Russia, India doubles down on Moscow. Bilateral trade hit $65 billion this year, up 50 per cent. Russia supplies 40 per cent of India’s oil imports, discounted and sanction-proof. Defence deals include S-400 systems delivered and BrahMos missiles co-produced. Modi’s message is clear: While New Delhi will not be drawn into a quarrel with the White House, it will also not be lectured on sovereignty