Jaishankar reaffirms India’s ties with Russia amid Western criticism
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External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has reaffirmed India’s ties with Russia, saying Moscow has stood by New Delhi when its security and territorial integrity faced threats.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference in New Delhi, Jaishankar said India’s historically positive experience with Russia continued to shape the relationship. “People don’t forget good history or bad history,” he said.
He recalled Russian and Soviet support for India since the 1950s, particularly when much of the world supported Pakistan’s military regime. His remarks referred to Soviet backing for India during the 1971 war with Pakistan, when the US sent a naval task force to the Bay of Bengal in support of Islamabad.
Responding to Western criticism of India’s engagement with Moscow, Jaishankar said countries assess relationships through their own experiences. He said Europe could not be expected to adopt India’s view of Russia, just as India would make decisions based on its own history.
“India’s experience has been positive and consistently positive,” he said.
Jaishankar said the relationship evolved through the 1970s and 1980s, with trade, energy and resources becoming increasingly important alongside military and nuclear cooperation.
His comments came amid criticism from the US and Europe over India’s continued engagement with Russia, particularly its purchases of Russian oil during the Ukraine war. The Ministry of External Affairs has described such criticism as “unjustified and unreasonable”.
Jaishankar also briefed a parliamentary consultative committee on plans to expand trade, investment and energy cooperation with Russia. He said India’s priority was to protect consumers and maintain multiple sources of supply.
On Ukraine, Jaishankar reiterated India’s call for an end to the war through dialogue, diplomacy and negotiations. He said India had engaged with both Russia and Ukraine on issues including Black Sea shipping, grain imports, energy exports and attacks on critical infrastructure.
He also recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message to Russian President Vladimir Putin that “today’s era is not an era of war” and his more recent call for “endless war” to give way to an end to the war.