On the Russia-Ukraine war, India’s stand has been clear from the day first, stating that the conflict was in nobody’s interest at all while the same was reiterated and underlined when Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin that “it was no time for war”. It has been this neutral stand of India concerning the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war that has been pinching the west, especially the US. The renewed deal of a $450-million sustenance package for Pakistan’s F-16 fleet needs to be seen in that light even as the US has brushed it off underlining that it was a continuation of an earlier program, there is more to it.
There is nothing new in the program and the US could have easily derailed it, however, it has expressed its displeasure by ensuring enhancement of the defense of India’s neighboring country where the state actors have been posing a great threat not only to India but also the rest of the world. Apparently, Pakistan has got the package under Washington’s obligation to ensure that Pakistan’s capabilities are increased and enhanced to deal with threats like Al-Qaeda and ISIS. But there is more to it that India knows very well and that is directly linked to India’s firm stand on the Russia-Ukraine war and its continued ties with Russia.
Since the day the conflict broke, the same took the world by surprise, prompting the west led by the US to impose biting sanctions on Russia, India initially preferred to sit on the fence and see things unfolding even as there was international pressure to join the US-led west. But, India preferred to go with its independent foreign policy and began to look at the problem through its lens and not the one which was being forced on by the US, inviting eerie. India preferred not to look toward the west, but to carry on with its age-old relationship with Russia even as objections were raised when India preferred to continue its trade with Russia despite sanctions.
The extent of independent foreign policy, safeguarding its interests first, can be understood by the fact that the External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar openly said that the west was playing it selectively when he was asked about buying Russian oil. He was blunt and critical of the west for allowing Europe to fulfill its energy needs despite sanctions and having a different set of ideals for India when it was going about keeping its interests on priority. The US is sure not happy with India’s independent foreign policy, especially towards Russia, but the US needs to understand that it cannot either trust Pakistan for an apparent ‘war on terror’. India is the game changer in the region; it matters at every cost and its foreign policy and relations with other countries need to be respected.
