Modi to make first Russia visit since war

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Russia next week, his first since the invasion of Ukraine, aligns with New Delhi’s strategy of maintaining good relations with Moscow as a counterbalance to China, analysts said. Russia’s drift into China’s orbit is worrying for India “because it’s like your best friend sleeping with the enemy,” an Indian defense expert said. Modi’s government has maintained an ambivalent stance on the Ukraine war and avoided criticizing Russia; India is a major buyer of discounted Russian oil despite strong Western sanctions.

The trip will likely frustrate some of New Delhi’s allies who have sought to make Moscow a pariah, showing “that Russia enjoys the support of key emerging powers,” an expert wrote in The Interpreter.