Russia has made a high-stakes geopolitical play in India, countering US pressure on oil trade with a major offer of advanced weaponry. The move comes after Donald Trump claimed India would stop buying Russian oil, a trade the US has already penalized with tariffs.
Russia’s Ambassador, Denis Alipov, fired back on two fronts. He first defended the oil trade as “very beneficial for the Indian economy.”
He then immediately pivoted to defense, the 60-year “backbone” of the relationship. He announced a new push for “full technology-sharing,” including local production of the Su-57 fighter, drones, and advanced radar.
This dual-pronged strategy reminds New Delhi that Russia is a source of both economic-saving energy and critical, “battle-tested” military technology.
This forces India to weigh the cost of US tariffs against the strategic benefits of its “unique” partnership with Moscow, a partnership that just concluded the “Indra” military exercises.
Oil, Guns, and Geopolitics: Russia’s High-Stakes Play in India
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