India has shied away from explicit condemnation of Russia ever since and has abstained on United Nations resolutions censuring Moscow.
But Russia’s fight with Ukraine has also had a human cost for India.
New Delhi said in February it was pushing the Kremlin to send back some of its citizens who had signed up for “support jobs” with the Russian military, following reports some were killed after being forced to fight in Ukraine.
Moscow’s deepening ties with China have also been a cause for concern.
Washington and the European Union accuse China of selling components and equipment that have strengthened Russia’s military industry – allegations Beijing strenuously denies.
China and India are intense rivals competing for strategic influence across South Asia.
India is part of the Quad grouping with the US, Japan and Australia that positions itself against China’s growing assertiveness in the Asia-Pacific region.
OIL AND ARMS
New Delhi and the Kremlin have maintained a close relationship since the Cold War, and Russia was for a long time India’s largest arms supplier.
But Ukraine has stretched Russia’s arms supplies thin, forcing India to eye other sources for weapons – including growing its own defence industry.
Russia’s share of Indian imports of arms has shrunk considerably in recent years, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
At the same time, India has become a major buyer of Russian oil, providing a much-needed export market for Moscow after it was cut off from traditional buyers in Europe.
That has dramatically reshaped energy ties, with India saving itself billions of dollars while bolstering Moscow’s war coffers.
