India ‘natural option’ for Russia: EAM

India offers Russia a natural option as Moscow increasingly looks towards Asia following strained ties with Europe, according to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Jaishankar made these remarks in New Delhi on Tuesday while speaking with Bloomberg New Economy Forum editor-in-chief John Micklethwait. He noted that Russia's relationship with Europe has become "pretty much a broken, embittered relationship" since the Ukraine war.

Historically, Russia has viewed itself as a European country, but now, Russia is turning more towards Asia, with much of that focus on China. However, Jaishankar believes it is in India's and the world's interest that Russia maintains multiple relationships in Asia with significant weight and consequence. He emphasized that India has had steady ties with Russia from the early years, and the country remains a natural option for Russia due to these long-standing and steady relations.

Jaishankar stressed that while the world and Russia's strategic calculations have changed, India is reassuring Moscow that its ties with New Delhi remain steady. This reassurance is important as the relationship has helped balance power in Asia and has a steady impact on the status quo in the region. The EU has stepped up pressure on Russia over the Ukraine war, imposing nearly 1,600 sanctions on Russia's military-industrial complex and individuals linked to sham elections in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories.

Meanwhile, negotiations on the India-US trade deal are progressing towards a possible conclusion, with officials working to resolve outstanding issues. Jaishankar noted that India is far advanced in the process and that the outcome depends on how the terms of the deal compare with other agreements the US reaches with competing economies.