Amidst the ongoing war with Ukraine, Russia has decided its new foreign policy on 31st March. Along with this foreign policy, Russia has also released a strategic document related to it. India’s biggest defense partner Russia has said a lot about India and China in its new foreign policy.
It is being said that this new foreign policy has been made according to the current situation and the strategy of national security. However, it has also been described as a threat to western countries. In such a situation, the question arises that what will be the effect of this new policy on India-Russia relations and what is there for western countries in Russia’s new foreign policy?
What will be the impact of the new foreign policy on India
The relations between Russia and India are not hidden from anyone. Both countries have strengthened this relationship in the last few decades by helping each other on many occasions. Take the Ukraine war as an example, since the beginning of this war, the whole world had turned against Russia and pressure was created to criticize India’s Russia. However, even at that time, India remained neutral on every international platform while maintaining its friendship.
This is the reason why Russia counts India among its friendly countries. And is continuously selling crude oil to India at a cheaper rate. Now in the foreign policy issued by the President of Russia on Friday, it was said that Russia will continue to build a privileged strategic partnership with India. Apart from this, it has been said that Russia will increase cooperation with India in mutually beneficial areas.
In this emphasis has been laid on giving priority to Shanghai Corporation, Russia-India-China, BRICS and other such organizations in which western countries have no role.
Russia under its new foreign policy, along with increasing and expanding cooperation in areas with India. There has been talk of increasing bilateral relations, emphasizing on strengthening investment and technical ties.
Apart from this, it was said in the new foreign policy of Russia that work will be done to rein those countries which are not friends of Russia and the alliances associated with them. Russia insisted that it follows an independent foreign policy. Along with this, this country also said that it believes in a multi polar world.
Multi polar world means a world where there is no super power opinion against America and there are many countries which are in a position to interfere in important matters. For this, Russia wants to strengthen the international role of BRICS, SEO, RAS.
In this draft, Putin has mentioned to further strengthen the three organizations of India’s membership, BRICS, Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and RIC (Russia-India-China). According to Russia, he will strengthen all these three organizations. So that in the whole world no one has power, but many powers.
Russia has described India as an important ally in its foreign policy. Looking at this, it can be said that there can be many more big decisions between the two countries in the future.
What’s in the document on growing ties with China
On the growing relationship with China, it was said in this document that Moscow aims to further strengthen the comprehensive partnership, strategic cooperation with Beijing. Russia has also talked about promoting China’s role in the development of the Eurasian region. It is clear that both these countries are fast approaching.
Let us tell you that recently Chinese President Xi Jinping had visited Russia. It was believed that in the midst of the war with Ukraine, this visit would increase Russia’s inclination towards China. The condition of growing relations between the two countries is that Putin recently said that this war can end with the plane of Chinese President Xi.
A New Look at America
Actually, on February 23 last year, Russia had attacked Ukraine. This war is still going on between the two countries. Western countries including America had taken a very tough stand against this war.
According to the strategic document issued by Russia, America is clearly a threat to international stability. Along with this, America has been termed as the motivator of the anti-Russian direction. It has also been believed that western countries want to interfere in Russia’s internal politics as well. In such a situation, this country has also talked about neutralizing the threat of European Union and NATO.
Western response
Russia has adopted this new foreign policy on 31 March. Sharing the tweet of the Russian Foreign Ministry, UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office has written on this policy that April 1 is a day of fooling. Western media has also called it anti-Western policy and anti-American.
India-Russia relations grow closer after Ukraine war
India and Russia had good relations but it is believed that the Russia-Ukraine war has brought the two countries closer. That western countries were trying to isolate Russia diplomatically. Many western companies have closed their business in this country and have also stopped investing.
Angered by the decision to attack Ukraine, some countries had called back their companies and international brands, but in the meantime, India-Russia relations seemed to be flourishing. During this, the leaders of both the countries were visiting each other’s countries or were meeting on international forums.
PM Modi-President Putin met several times during the war
India’s Prime Minister and President Vladimir Putin met several times during the Russia-Ukraine war. PM in September 2022 Narendra Modi arrived in Uzbekistan’s city of Samarkand to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting where he met Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Last year in December i.e. 2022, the Russian President was on a visit to India. Whereas in July 2021 the Foreign Minister visited Russia and after that in April 2022 also the Russian Foreign Minister visited New Delhi.
India Russia bilateral trade skyrocketing
By November 2022, there has been a 500 percent increase in bilateral trade between India and Russia. This figure is shocking. Between April and August of 2022, that is, in just five months, the bilateral trade stood at $18.2 billion. This trade was only eight billion dollars in the year last year. The main reason for which is the import of crude oil and fertilizers in large quantities from Russia.
According to government data, the contribution of crude oil and fertilizer was 91 percent of the trade of $ 18.2 billion in five months. According to experts, there may be further increase in the import of crude oil from Russia in the coming days.
What the figures say
According to data from India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India’s total trade with Russia in the year 2020-21 was $8.14 billion and $13 billion in the year 2021-22.
During this period, where on one hand India’s exports to Russia remained stable, on the other hand imports increased. It has increased from $ 5.4 billion in the year 2020-21 to $ 9.8 billion in 2021-22.
Crude oil imports from Russia increased by 50 times
According to international media institutions, India has emerged as a major buyer of Russian oil. According to a Wall Street Journal report, on 24 February 2022, i.e. during the Russia-Ukraine war, India has increased crude oil imports from Russia by more than 25 times.
On the other hand, it has been claimed in other media reports that this increase was even more. India’s crude oil imports from Russia have increased 50 times since April 2022.
However, the increase in oil imports has been seen as an attempt to curb inflation. While some argue that buying cheap oil from Russia was a ‘temporary solution’ to India’s long-standing fuel needs.
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