Context: The relations between India and Russia are one of “Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership” and the ongoing military contracts between the two sides will be maintained and in a number of cases will be taken forward in a shorter time, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday. Singh, who was in Moscow on a three-day visit at the invitation of the Russian Ministry of Defence to attend the 75th Anniversary of Victory Day Parade, said his visit to Moscow was the first foreign visit from India of an official delegation after the COVID-19 pandemic. 
All our proposals have received positive responses from the Russian side. I am fully satisfied with my discussions,” Singh said, indicating the timely delivery of the S-400 missile defence systems to India. Moscow was to begin the delivery of the system by the second half of next year. Russia has been one of India’s key suppliers of arms and ammunition. However, it has been a long-standing grievance of armed forces that supply of critical spares and equipment from Russia takes a long time affecting maintenance of military systems procured from that country.
Key Points

• The pandemic appears not to have had much impact on India-Russia relations. 
• The relationship was showing signs of strain even before to the pandemic, mainly because both countries are drifting toward different sides in the emerging competition between the United States and China. 
• India’s concerns about China’s behavior have made it inch closer to the U.S. and the Indo-Pacific coalition. While increasing tensions between Russia and the West appear to be driving Moscow toward a deeper partnership with Beijing. 
• Neither side seems particularly happy with the effect of these tendencies on their bilateral relations and both have tried to insulate their ties from these larger movements. 
• The S-400 long-range air defense system is the most visible recent indicator of the arms transfer relationship. 

About the Recent deal

• India is buying five batteries of the S-400 system in a deal worth more than $5 billion despite the threat of U.S. sanctions. 
• That India went ahead with the system regardless of the threat of sanctions is an indicator of both India’s desire to maintain this aspect of its relationship with Russia but also India’s vulnerability to Pakistan’s missile forces. 
• The S-400 is claimed to have some level of anti-ballistic capability.
• In addition, Russia recently offered India three more Kilo-class submarines. These refurbished Kilos will join the nine other Kilo-class submarines in the Indian Navy. 
• This should be welcome because India has just 15 submarines, according to the latest Military Balance published by the IISS, against a projected requirement of 24. 
• India’s declining submarine fleet has been a concern especially as the Chinese PLA Navy gets more active in the waters around India.

What are the challenges faced by India-Russia relations since 2014? 

• The year 2014 was marked by new developments for both the nations. India saw the emergence of a new government under PM Narendra Modi and Russia was witnessing deteriorating ties with the West over Crimea and Ukraine crisis. 
• Despite the announcement in 2010 of the “special and privileged strategic partnership” there were obvious signs of drift in the relationship. 
• In 2016, India became a major defence partner of the US. 
• It began the 2+2 Dialogue in 2018 and had signed the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA, 2016) and also the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA, 2018) with the US.
• Due to these outcomes, Russia had overturned its decades-old policy and since 2014, had supplied China with advanced weapon and weapon systems like Sukhoi 35 and the S-400 missile defence system.
• Military and technical ties have become the base for the India-Russia relationship. Thus, these outcomes are a matter of huge concern. 
• Despite the growing ties between Pakistan and Russia, it should be noted that Moscow stood by India on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir. 

The main challenge that threatens the bilateral relation now is from China’s BRI, which Russia has joined. It plans to link the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) to the BRI. 
India’s connectivity plan in this region in the form of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) is suffering.
Recent positive developments in India-Russia ties

• Credit: India had pledged to extend $1 billion lines of credit for the development of the Russian Far East (Act Far East Policy). 
• Maritime route: There is also the proposal for the maritime route connecting Chennai and Vladivostok. This is of significance as Vladivostok is a short distance away from Russia’s border with China. This is of importance also because India is building nuclear plants in collaboration with Russia in Kudankulam. It will also increase India’s presence in Indo-Pacific. 
• Gaganyaan Project: Russia would help train the Indian astronauts for the manned space mission. Both the countries, during this visit, had expressed their concern over the possibility of the arms race in the outer space.

India and Russia have agreed to hasten preparation for the signing of the India-Russia Intergovernmental Agreement on Promotion and Mutual Protection of Investments. 
Other areas of cooperation between the two nations in international issues include: 

• Reformation of UNSC: Russia supports India’s bid for permanent membership in UNSC. 
• Russia also supports India’s membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

Road Ahead

• Relationship with Russia has always been the foundation for India’s foreign policy and it will continue to be so despite the occasional differences in interests. It is evident that India’s recent tilt towards the West is for taking up Pakistan’s position as a US’ strategic partner in the South Asian region. And Russia, for its part, is countering the US’ position in Afghanistan and Central Asia. Regardless of all the obvious differences, both India and Russia are balancing their national interests while maintaining and strengthening of bilateral ties. If this continues, India-Russia relations
• But despite the kind words, emergency cooperation, and the defense relationship, there are longer term difficulties in the India-Russia relationship that are unlikely to be easy to resolve.  The pandemic has accelerated the competition between China and the region and that is likely to eventually add stress to the India-Russia relationship.