India Cannot Afford to Sever Ties with Russia: WSJ

Despite strong pressure from the United States, India cannot afford to sever its ties with Russia, as reported by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). According to the paper, these ties have brought significant economic and geopolitical benefits to New Delhi.

In light of tariffs intended to inflict real harm on the Indian economy, Prime Minister Modi has ignored Washington's pressure, underscoring the importance of relations with Russia for South Asia.

Trade between the two countries has surged to a record $69 billion over the past three years, thanks to India’s purchases of Russian oil. This importation has allowed New Delhi to sell gasoline at lower prices in the domestic market and resell oil products abroad at higher profits.

“We are not going to shut off the Russian tap anytime soon,” said Syed Akbaruddin, India’s former permanent representative to the UN. “It’s not possible given the price differential with other suppliers and the impact on the budget,” Akbaruddin added.