Old ties, new strategic demands

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s joint statement with President Vladimir Putin in Delhi, framed through an appeal to walk together in the fight against terror, signals more than the reaffirmation of an old partnership. It reflects how India and Russia are positioning themselves within a shifting global landscape shaped by fractured security frameworks, contested energy markets, and competing diplomatic expectations. Friendship has long been a constant in the relationship, yet the strategic calculations beneath it are evolving quickly.

India’s condemnation of terrorism remains unequivocal, and Moscow’s alignment with New Delhi following the Pahalgam attack in April is consistent with its pattern of supporting India on cross border militancy. For India, a clear Russian voice against Pakistan-based terror networks strengthens its broader diplomatic campaign for global accountability. For Russia, drawing parallels between the Pahalgam killings and the Crocus City Hall attack reinforces its own narrative that terrorism is a shared and borderless threat.

Even so, rhetoric alone does not answer the harder questions that complicate counter terrorism cooperation, including the divergent positions of both countries’ partners in West Asia and Central Asia. Still, the joint call for global unity against terrorism offers a legitimate policy opportunity. India and Russia could work more actively in UN and SCO forums to revive discussions on long stalled frameworks such as the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism. The challenge will be translating intent into coordinated action at a time when geopolitical alignments are increasingly fluid.

The partnership, which Modi again described as a pole star, is no longer driven solely by historical sentiment. It now rests heavily on energy interdependence and economic pragmatism. Russia’s pledge to ensure uninterrupted fuel shipments comes as India faces sustained pressure from Washington to reduce purchases of Russian crude. The Modi government has balanced these competing demands through careful diplomacy, and the joint statements demonstrate continuity in this approach. In public remarks Modi highlighted clean energy and civil nuclear cooperation rather than oil, signalling India’s intent to diversify the partnership rather than anchor it narrowly in hydrocarbons.

This reflects a prudent strategy. India cannot afford vulnerability in energy supplies while pursuing stable economic growth, but it must also preserve room to manoeuvre with Western partners, especially as global clean energy transitions accelerate. A constructive next step would be for India to initiate a trilateral energy dialogue with Russia and key Western producers, focusing on supply stability, pricing transparency, and critical minerals. This would not erase tensions over Russian crude but would place India’s long term energy security needs within a cooperative rather than adversarial frame.

Economic ties featured prominently in the summit. India and Russia have agreed on a programme for economic cooperation until 2030, aligning with New Delhi’s ambition to diversify trade partnerships and expand manufacturing supply chains. Russia, undertaking significant economic restructuring, is eager to stabilise its commercial links with non-Western partners. The pledge to raise bilateral trade to one hundred billion dollars and the shift toward national currencies will draw attention in Western capitals. These moves add momentum to wider BRICS discussions about alternatives to dollar denominated trade.

India approaches such proposals cautiously. It recognises the value of de-risking global finance while also valuing stability within established systems. If managed carefully, greater use of national currencies with Russia could enhance India’s financial autonomy without contributing to fragmentation of the global monetary order. Strong regulatory oversight of cross border payment systems, together with a clear roadmap for rupee internationalisation, would reassure international partners that India’s approach is reformist rather than revisionist.

On Ukraine, the description of India as a champion of peace reflects long-standing Indian positions in favour of dialogue and diplomacy. Yet, India’s influence over the conflict remains limited. Where it can play a useful role is in maintaining communication across geopolitical divides. 

An expanded Indian track-two initiative, involving European, Russian, and Global South policy groups, could help generate practical proposals on humanitarian access, food security corridors, and nuclear safety. 

These incremental efforts, though modest, may open pathways for more substantive diplomacy.

Defence cooperation continues to be an enduring but sensitive pillar of the relationship. Russia’s support for modernising Indian military platforms provides strategic depth. At the same time, India has spent the past decade reducing overdependence on Russian systems. This diversification is both deliberate and necessary. India’s long-term defence capability will depend on technology transfers, joint production, and resilient supply chains rather than traditional procurement. Encouraging Russia to participate in co-development programmes that align with India’s Make in India and export ambitions would make the partnership more sustainable and mutually beneficial. Joint investment in clean energy, critical minerals, digital infrastructure, and resilient supply chains would align the partnership with the demands of the coming decade.

The broader strategic challenge for India is to safeguard this historic partnership while advancing deeper ties with Western economies and Indo-Pacific security frameworks. 

The answer lies in an issue-based, principled multi alignment. India need not choose between Washington and Moscow, but it should articulate more clearly the principles guiding its global partnerships. A periodic white paper outlining India’s diplomatic priorities, economic interests, and security doctrines would strengthen transparency and help foreign partners understand India’s strategic rationale.

The tone of the Modi-Putin statement was warm, but its implications are far reaching. Both countries signalled that their
partnership will adapt rather than recede.

The writer is Editor, India Monitor