There is not need for India to rethink its relations with Russia on account of growing Russian proximity to China because there has been no change in Russia's dealing with India. Russia continues to be a reliable defense partner.
India's view of the world is more closely aligned with Russia than the US. Russia has never sanctioned India. The US has and continues to threaten sanctions. Even today the US would not be ready to share with India strategic technology that Russia has shared with India.
The US continues to maintains close military ties with Pakistan. The last @IAF_MCC fighter downed was brought down by a US missile launched from a US supplied and upgraded fighter of the PAF. The next US president may well switch tack and restore normal relations with China.
Historically, the US has flip flopped on relations with India to suit its current strategic interest. Russia's support for India has been strong and consistent. No Russian dreams of a unipolar world dominated by Russia. All Americans dream of a unipolar world dominated by the US.
Both India and Russia are fighting domination. Most high end Russian weapons are disruptive in nature. They represent low cost products to neutralize high cost, high technology US weapons. The lower cost & effectiveness of Russian weapons suits Indian requirements & budget.
An important reason for India to remain close, very close, to Russia would be to prevent the US from leveraging its close relations with India to an extent where our sovereignty is compromised. India wants a multipolar world. The US doesn't.
The US is using India to achieve its aim of creating a unipolar world. India needs to stand up against China, and it can do so with or without US help. Under the circumstances the US will help. Russia too is helping. There is not need for us to reexamine our relations with Russia
Finally, Germany, Japan and UK - all close US allies, were world powers during WW2. Look were they are now? There will be no mulitpolar world if India drops Russia as a close friend, now or in the future.
This ET defense report lists some of the reasons that I mentioned in this thread earlier to rightly suggest that there is a need to resolutely delink India's growing relations with the US from its existing strong relations with Russia. economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/w…
We need to be vary of electronic media analysts representing US lobbies and anonymous experts with confounding limitless free access to satellite imagery who project themselves as India sympathizers. Their loyalties would lie with their paymasters, who I doubt are in India.
The US has completely sabotaged India's traditional relations with Iran and consequently made India irrelevant in Afghanistan. India's relations with Russia are now in their cross hair. Remember how close Iran & the US were at one time? Today... rt.com/news/495824-ir…
