Russia welcomes Wang Yi’s visit and the positive turn in India-China ties

He further described the additional tariff imposed on India as “illegal” and “unlawful” tools that “disrespect national interests”. He highlighted the need for closer cooperation among countries in the Global South to deal with global challenges.

Russian President Vladimir Putin would visit New Delhi as part of the annual Russia-India summit though the dates are yet to be finalised.

The remarks from the Russian embassy set the political, military and economic backdrop of India-Russia relations as External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar reached Moscow to hold a conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

The enhanced conversation between senior officials of India, China and Russia is balancing the uncertain trade relations between India and the U.S.

Following the start of the Ukraine crisis, Russia had reconfigured its economy by becoming a major supplier of energy to China and India, and a positive turn in India-China ties aligns better for Russia’s global moves and sets the stage for a major meeting along the RIC – Russia-India-China – format.

However, the Russian official declined to give a timeline for a Russia-India-China summit, saying that such a meeting would take place at the “right time”, though he said the leaders of the three nations will meet in Tianjin, where the Heads of State Council meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) would take place during August 31-September 1.

“You will never see sanctions imposed by Russia or within BRICS organisations where we collectively participate. Non-United Nations sanctions and secondary sanctions are illegal. They only serve to weaponise the economy. Despite sanctions, the Russian economy is growing. It means that you cannot exclude from the global economy a big and important country such as Russia with its tremendous energy, industrial and human potential,” said Mr. Babushkin describing BRICS as a “stabilising force”.

The senior Russian diplomat urged Indian producers to reach out to the Russian market in view of the tariffs from the U.S. that tighten access to the American market. He described the energy ties between India and Russia as having remained unaffected by tariffs and sanctions from the U.S. and the EU, as India-Russia energy trade uses a “very special mechanism” to bypass Western sanctions. He added that India currently receives more than 40% of its total crude oil supplies from Russia and hinted at discounts in India’s purchase of Russian crude saying that a “5% swing is possible subject to negotiation”.

The senior official said, “Russia is a partner of choice for India’s defence sector”, and that it has been working on the Make in India vision since the 1980s. He assured that Russia will participate in future jet engine projects as well as in building the Sudarshan Chakra, the multi-layered missile defence system that was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day speech. Mr Babushkin highlighted the S400 air defence system and said these systems underwent “very successful battle test” during Operation Sindoor when India fought a brief war with Pakistan in May.