Russia-Pakistan Relations and the ‘China Factor’- Implications for India

Abstract

As the Russia-Ukraine war enters a phase of attrition, Moscow is increasingly turning to the Global South for diplomatic support and ways to replenish its depleted resources. Likewise, given Pakistan’s grave economic situation and food crisis, the country is anxiously turning to Russia with open arms. This article examines the upward trajectory of relations between Moscow and Islamabad and analyses its implications for India. The article contends that although bilateral relations between Russia and Pakistan have their own dynamics, this confluence of interests takes on a completely new dimension when aligned with China. The war in Ukraine and the fluid global order have certainly complicated the geopolitical calculus in South Asia, and consequent reshuffling of positions may eventually push New Delhi away from Moscow.