Episode 45: Can Russia Play a Constructive Role in Sino-India Rivalry ?

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov recently hosted the Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral foreign ministers’ meeting, the first opportunity for External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi for face-time with each other over videoconference amidst the border de-escalation process. Russia is said to have a “special relationship” with India as it is one of the key weapons supplier to the country. Last year, Russia also upgraded its relationship with China which is now dubbed as a “comprehensive strategic partnership”. Given that Russia is close to both India and China, what role can it potentially play in the de-escalation process and in the larger ties between the two neighbours in the Indian subcontinent? We spoke to Nandan Unnikrishnan, a Distinguished Fellow at Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi with expertise in Russia and Eurasia. Unnikrishnan began his career as a journalist with the Press Trust of India (PTI). He was deputed by PTI to the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) and did a three-year stint in Moscow as its Bureau Chief, before moving to Business India’s Television Channel.