Reading into Vladimir Putin’s flattery for India, PM Modi

Russia’s president Vladimir Putin appears to be trying to woo India these days. Not only did he hail Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently, but also backed India’s push for a seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). Putin’s remarks come against the backdrop of Russia’s prolonged war with Ukraine, which has flared geopolitical tensions. How has Vladimir Putin been trying to woo India away from the West? Why is he doing it? Let’s understand. Putin heaps praise on India The Russian president said the Delhi G20 Summit held in September was a “personal success” for Modi. “As for the work of the G20, without any doubt that is the success of the Indian presidency and personally for PM Modi, that was a success. The Indian leadership was able to find…balance, including in the declaration,” Putin said at an event in Russia’s Sochi, reported ThePrint. In its joint declaration , the G20 bloc had called for “comprehensive, just, and durable peace in Ukraine”, but refrained from a direct criticism of Russia. Addressing the 20th annual meeting of Moscow-based think tank Valdai International Discussion Club, the Russian leader on Thursday (5 October) said that India is getting stronger each year under Modi’s leadership. Supporting India’s inclusion in a reformed UNSC, Putin reportedly said: “Certainly, in the UN Security Council, such countries should be represented who are acquiring significant clout in international affairs. Due to their potential, they have an opportunity to contribute to resolving international issues”. “What countries am I talking about? India — 1.5 billion people. Over 7 percent GDP growth. High tech exports are growing exponentially. It is becoming stronger every year under the leadership of PM Modi,” ThePrint quoted him as saying. [caption id=“attachment_13212922” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Russian president Vladimir Putin addressing the annual meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on 5 October. AP[/caption] India has been vying for a permanent seat in the UNSC for decades. However, China, Russia’s diplomatic ally, has continued to oppose the move. The Russian president also hit out at the West for “flirting” with India and praised the Modi government for acting independently, as per Bloomberg. “I would like to say that the Indian leadership is independent and strongly nationally oriented,” Putin reportedly said. “They (the West) try to portray those who are not willing to blindly follow these Western elite groups as enemies. They have used this approach with various countries, including China, and tried to do this to India in certain situations”. He added, “Attempts to turn India away from Russia are pointless, India is an independent state,” NDTV reported. ‘Very wise man’ Putin also lauded Modi’s leadership and called the Indian premier a “very wise man”. He called for greater cooperation between India and Russia in financial security and combating cybercrime. “We share very good political relations with Prime Minister Modi, he is a very wise man. And India has been making very great strides in development under his leadership. This fully meets the interest of both India and Russia to work on this agenda", ANI quoted the Russian leader as saying, citing a video by Russia-based media RT. Last month, Putin said PM Modi was doing the “right thing” by endorsing the Make in India initiative. Speaking at the 8th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF), the Russian president, as per ANI, said: “You know, we did not have domestically made cars then, but we do now. It is true that they look more modest than Mercedes or Audi cars, which we bought in vast amounts in the 1990s, but this is not an issue. I think that we should emulate many of our partners, for example, India.” “They are focused on the manufacture and use of Indian-made vehicles. I think that Prime Minister Modi is doing the right thing in promoting the Make in India programme. He is right,” he added.

Why is Russia wooing India? Since its invasion of Ukraine last February, Russia has found itself largely isolated on the international stage. The divisions between the West and Moscow are at an all-time high. Western nations have imposed numerous sanctions on Russia since the war. India, which has extensive defense ties with Russia and is an importer of Russian oil, has adopted a balanced diplomatic approach by continuing its ties with Moscow while also ensuring not anger the West by taking sides in the war. New Delhi has not bowed to Western pressure and has successfully defended its decision to increase its buying of discounted crude from Russia. India has also abstained from all UN General Assembly votes condemning Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine. While maintaining a neutral position, India has called for peace and resolution of the Ukraine crisis through dialogue. New Delhi is also strengthening its relations with the United States. Hit by Western sanctions, Moscow has been trying to bring India closer to the Russian economy. A source told BusinessLine in February, “Russia is hopeful that India would be open to allowing trading in the Rupee at the Moscow Exchange and also agree to integrate with Russia’s parallel financial messaging system (SPFS), developed as an alternative to SWIFT, but New Delhi is not keen”. Putin’s aide, Igor Levitin, met several Indian officials that month to push Russia’s agenda. However, according to the source, India was unlikely to take decisions that would portray it as a supporter of Russia in the war, BusinessLine reported. Last September, Russia made attempts to attract Indian travellers to its key cities, including Moscow and St. Petersburg, to boost tourism affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. [caption id=“attachment_13212992” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] PM Narendra Modi and Russian president Vladimir Putin
attend a meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Uzbekistan’s Samarkand last September. Reuters File Photo[/caption] Putin has also developed cordial ties with Modi as well as China’s Xi Jinping, who called the Russian leader his “best friend” in 2019. However, Putin’s relationship with India and other neutral countries has made the West anxious. A report by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) published last April found that “two-thirds of the world’s population lives in neutral or Russia-leaning countries regarding the war in Ukraine.” According to CNBC, Agathe Demarais, the EIU’s global forecasting director, said on the research at the time that “in the coming years Russia (and China) will devote their efforts to courting non-aligned, neutral countries — which are mostly found in the developing world.” “Building on other instruments, such as vaccine diplomacy, the Russian and Chinese governments will hope to forge an opposing front to the West. The eventual result will be a waning influence and gradual retreat of Western countries from much of the developing world.” On its part, New Delhi has been courting a “multipolar world” where India would be a major powerhouse in the global arena. With inputs from agencies