India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval will meet senior Russian officials in Moscow on Wednesday, with the aim of strengthening defence and security cooperation between the two countries.
His tour occurs against the background of new tensions with the United States, following President Donald Trump's announcement that he would apply "very substantial" increases to the existing 25 per cent tariffs on Indian exports. The action is said to follow India's continued oil trade with Russia.
Trump has sharply criticized India, accusing it of "fueling the war machine" by buying cut-price Russian crude and selling it at huge margins.
During his Moscow visit, the agenda of National Security Adviser Ajit Doval is expected to address not just the long-standing strategic cooperation on defence and security but also India's Russian oil imports, which have become a subject of international dispute. Talks are also likely to address the groundwork for an upcoming summit between Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
As per Russian media, the current geopolitical tensions will also be a key subject of the negotiations, particularly in regards to oil shipments to India.
This trip, scheduled well in advance, will seek to promote cooperation between Moscow and New Delhi on various fronts.
Defence cooperation is also expected to be a prominent theme. Reports indicate Doval could discuss possible procurement of additional S-400 air defence systems, setting up service and maintenance facilities in India, and possibilities regarding acquiring Russia's fifth-generation Su-57 fighter aircraft.
India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reacted vigorously to Washington and the European Union's criticism of its Russian oil imports on Monday, terming the objections as unjust.
Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar also made his views known. Refraining from mentioning Trump by name, he said, "We live in complicated and uncertain times. Our collective desire is to see a fair and representative global order, not one dominated by a few."
The MEA also added, "Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security."
India also brought out the seeming double standards of Western responses by pointing out that while criticism is heaped on New Delhi, the European Union's trade with Russia was at $67.5 billion. The United States, it added, still imports uranium, palladium, fertilisers, and other chemical products from Russia.
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