External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said that India is a “natural option” for Russia as Moscow increasingly turns towards Asia amid strained relations with Europe, asserting that New Delhi’s longstanding ties with Moscow have remained steady over the past eight decades and contribute to the balance of power in the region.
“I’m not disputing that… what we see clearly is today pretty much a broken, embittered relationship between Russia and Europe. It has always priced its relationship with Europe and also with the US… In Asia, much of that is towards China. “It’s an option that has worked for both of us. His remarks come amid continued efforts by the European Union to increase economic pressure on Russia over the war against Ukraine.
Because of the Ukraine war is that Russia, perforce, has turned much more to Asia, the result of what has happened. Because we’ve had very decent relations with Russia from pretty much the early start… those relationships have stayed steady, “We are a natural option in that regard. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Monday announced nearly 1,600 sanctions listings targeting Russia’s military-industrial complex and individuals linked to elections in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories.
Speaking in conversation with John Micklethwait, Editor-in-Chief of the Bloomberg New Economy Forum, Jaishankar said that Russia’s relationship with Europe had become embittered following the Russia-Ukraine war, pushing Moscow to turn increasingly towards Asia, particularly China. But I do believe it’s in our interest, and in the world’s interest, that Russia has multiple choices and that it has other relationships in Asia of great weight and consequence,” he said. Highlighting India’s longstanding relationship with Russia, Jaishankar said New Delhi remained a natural partner for Moscow and that maintaining these ties was in the interests of both countries. What we are doing right now is we are maintaining our relationship with Russia,” he said. The External Affairs Minister said India was reassuring Russia that despite changes in the international order and Moscow’s strategic calculations, its longstanding relationship with New Delhi continued to remain steady. It has had a steady impact on the balance of power and overall status quo in Asia, and we think that’s a good thing,” he said.
Historically, Russia has always seen itself as a European country.
