Indian officials calculate, probably correctly, that their country will suffer few consequences from the West because of its stance on the war in Ukraine
Save time by listening to our audio articles as you multitaskNot so, say Indian policymakers, pointing to official statements that lament the violence, express support for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and call for diplomacy to be given a chance. Moreover, they say, the abstentions should be seen in the context of India’s long tradition of being beholden to no superpower.
Indian officials and analysts are at once irritated by Western criticism and relaxed about the consequences. Irritated, because they divine Western hypocrisy. India would very much like to rely less on Russian arms and buy more from America. But they are either too expensive or, in the case of missile systems, out of reach: America would not sell India its latest versions.
That may be so. But India’s response points to other weaknesses. It claims to have leverage over Russia because it is the biggest buyer of its arms. Yet India’s government still had immense trouble evacuating the 20,000-odd Indian students caught in Ukraine. Neither Mr Modi nor any other Indian bigwig has rushed to Moscow to urge Mr Putin to change course. They are under no pressure at home, either. Most Indians do not care much about the war.
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