No clear-cut global order is in sight in the near term, but India-Russia ties are suited for any kind of world order that eventually develops
As the India–Russia Strategic Partnership marks its 25
th
year, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited India for the 23
rd
Annual Summit—his 10
th
visit to New Delhi....
... 1990s, Russia abandoned a one-sided orientation towards the West. While maintaining a full-fledged political dialogue, Moscow began strengthening its ties with various players across Eurasia and went to great lengths to promote interaction within the Russia-India-China triangle, which later became the backbone of BRICS+. The territorial dispute with China was settled, and a new Russian-Chinese treaty was signed. One of the world’s longest borders underwent sweeping demilitarisation. China became a key ...
... global geopolitics, following the U.S. imposition of secondary tariffs against India due to its continued Russian oil imports, the visit served as a significant moment for the reassertion of a multipolar world order. Beyond these developments, the annual India-Russia bilateral summit also presents an opportune moment to ascertain the direction of bilateral cooperation, particularly in the broader context of India’s strategic engagement in Eurasia and its regional security concerns, especially in the aftermath ...
... maintaining global peace and stability in continental Eurasia is exceptionally compelling, which prompts us to discuss possible ways to supplement these preconditions through the constructive efforts of the states located there. These currently include China, Russia, India, and other countries in South Asia, as well as the entire Central Asian region and Afghanistan. Iran is in the most vulnerable position, as it is engaged in a direct conflict with a state that is a close ally of a power for which security and peace ...
... relations, was supposed to take place in 2024 but has again been postponed indefinitely. Messages coming from India regarding its timing now point to the spring of 2026.
Julia Melnikova, Natalia Viakhireva, Gleb Gryzlov:
The Issue of Connectivity in India-Russia Relations — From Eurasia to the Arctic
An event that would be fairly ordinary in any other context of New Delhi’s regional policy holds particular significance here. Over a quarter century of modern history, the two sides have struggled to ...
... rare in relations between major powers, and it has allowed the partnership to withstand difficult moments in the past and will continue to do so in the future.
Economy
Julia Melnikova, Natalia Viakhireva, Gleb Gryzlov:
The Issue of Connectivity in India-Russia Relations — From Eurasia to the Arctic
Economic relations between Russia and India are breaking records: the current fiscal year’s trade turnover is likely to exceed $75 billion, a level not seen since the dissolution of the USSR. This growth ...
... Shandong Yulong Petrochemical (also blocked by the EU), Shandong Haixin Port, and Shandong Jingang Port (for accepting vessels carrying Russian oil). The United States, for its part, imposed so-called secondary tariffs—additional duties on purchases of Russian oil—against India on August 6, 2025.
So far, secondary sanctions against Chinese and Indian companies, as well as secondary tariffs, have hardly made a significant impact on relations between New Delhi and Beijing and Western governments. The global leaders have ...
On November 11, 2025, New Delhi hosted the Fourth India-Russia Heads of Think-Tanks (HoTT) Forum, jointly organized by MGIMO University of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA)
On November 11, 2025, New Delhi hosted the Fourth India-Russia Heads of Think-Tanks ...
... with other partners, including Moscow, have raised concerns in New Delhi. Kanwal Sibal noted that the unpredictability of U.S. foreign policy hinders the establishment of a constructive dialogue between the two countries.
The discussion also focused on Russia–India relations. Ambassador Sibal emphasized that maintaining and further strengthening ties with Russia a crucial factor in ensuring India’s strategic autonomy. Russian experts highlighted the potential of technological cooperation as one of the key ...
... opportunity not only to offer its expertise in fighting the “three evils” to partner countries but also to respond to Indian accusations of sponsoring terrorist groups.
Julia Melnikova, Natalia Viakhireva, Gleb Gryzlov:
The Issue of Connectivity in India-Russia Relations — From Eurasia to the Arctic
In practice, this means that SCO summit declarations must give voice to both India and Pakistan. For example, the Tianjin declaration simultaneously condemns cross-border terrorism and the terrorist attack ...