India and Pakistan engaged in intense exchanges of gunfire overnight, marking the most severe conflict between the two nuclear-armed nations since 2019 and sparking fears of a potential all-out war.
In the early hours of Wednesday, India launched missile strikes against Pakistan, describing the action as retaliation for an attack in which gunmen killed 26 individuals, primarily tourists, in the Indian-administered region of Kashmir last month. In response, Pakistan characterized the attack as an act of war and commenced its own retaliatory strikes.
The Russian Foreign Ministry expressed its deep concern regarding the escalating situation and urged both nations to exhibit restraint.
Additionally, Russia has proposed to mediate the ongoing crisis, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov having engaged in discussions with representatives from both India and Pakistan last week.
As tensions rise, The Moscow Times explores Russia’s diplomatic relationships with both countries:
**Russia-India Relations**
In December 2023, Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar referred to the India-Russia partnership as the “one constant in world politics,” highlighting the enduring ties between the two nations.
Russian backing for India dates back to the 1950s, when the Soviet Union utilized its veto power in the UN Security Council to support India regarding the Kashmir dispute.
Since that period, both the USSR and its successor, Russia, have acted as mediators between India and Pakistan, with continued support for India throughout the Cold War.
Despite reports from British think tank Chatham House suggesting a “managed decline” in relations, Moscow and New Delhi remain significant partners in various sectors.
Trade between India and Russia soared to $66 billion in 2024, with aspirations to reach $100 billion by 2030.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has visited Russia twice within the past year and has met with President Vladimir Putin 17 times over the last decade.
Russian oil, which constituted only 2% of India’s total imports prior to the Ukraine invasion, has surged to over 40% as of June 2024. In December, both nations finalized a 10-year, $13 billion agreement to supply 500,000 barrels of crude oil daily to the Indian private refiner Reliance.
The two countries also collaborate in the nuclear energy sector. Russia’s state nuclear energy company, Rosatom, has secured a deal to construct six nuclear reactors in India.
In defense, Russia supplies over 50% of India’s military equipment, making India the largest importer of Russian arms globally.
However, India has navigated a careful diplomatic path regarding Russia’s actions in Ukraine, refraining from condemning or supporting the invasion. It has consistently abstained from UN votes condemning Moscow and remains a significant supplier of crucial restricted technologies to Russia.
**Russia-Pakistan Relations**
In recent years, the partnership between Russia and Pakistan has strengthened, diverging from Pakistan’s pro-Western stance during the Cold War era.
Bilateral trade hit a record high of $1 billion in 2023, with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk stating in 2024 that Russia endorses Pakistan’s entry into the BRICS economic group.
“Since 2011, Pakistan-Russia relations have been gradually improving, albeit slowly,” writes Muhammad Murad, a Ph.D. candidate in political science at the University of Bonn, in The Diplomat.
In 2017, Pakistan joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, led by Moscow and Beijing, to enhance regional cooperation.
Four years later, Russia and Pakistan finalized an agreement for the construction of a gas pipeline linking Karachi to Lahore.
“Despite the deepening ties between Moscow and Islamabad, a degree of distrust persists, mainly due to Pakistan’s neutral outlook on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and purportedly supplying arms to Ukraine,” notes Murad.
Reports suggest that Pakistan sold $364 million worth of arms to Ukraine and Israel to cover expenses related to securing an International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan. The Pakistani government, however, has denied these allegations.
While Pakistan has abstained from voting in the UN on resolutions condemning Russia’s actions in Ukraine three times, it has advocated for the respect of Ukraine’s sovereignty.
Prashant Singh, a researcher based in Delhi, offers a different perspective on Russia-Pakistan relations.
“One constant remains: Pakistan-Russia relations have historically operated as part of a broader regional geopolitical framework involving Russia, the United States, China, India, and Pakistan,” he states in The Diplomat.
He adds that cooperation is traditionally restricted to areas like energy, food security, and counterterrorism, as arms sales would provoke India.
Moreover, despite moving closer to Moscow, Pakistan continues to rely on Western-funded institutions such as the IMF for financial assistance. As recently as March, Pakistan secured approval to receive $1.3 billion as part of a 37-month program aimed at addressing its economic challenges and preventing a potential default.
