Behind the 'Russia tilt'

Unpacking India's 'national interest', more than a year after the invasion

More than a year has passed since the armies of the Russian Federation launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and in this period the Indian government’s apparent determination to remain neutral in the conflict only seems to have intensified. In fact, if anything “neutrality” is a code for “leaning towards Moscow” — since, for example, senior Russian ministers are regularly feted in New Delhi, but similar interactions with Ukraine are, to put it mildly, rare.

There are many reasons that could be given for this choice — and indeed, are given at tedious length and risible self-righteousness by people from government-friendly