Putin’s visit to India raises questions: Will better India-Russia relations make a potential India-US trade deal ever more unlikely? Experts weigh in
Analysts say India's growing warmth with Russia could complicate its chances of sealing a trade agreement with the United States as President Vladimir Putin begins his visit to New Delhi
⚠️ Key Issue Under Discussion
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India for the 23rd Annual Summit has revived debate on whether New Delhi’s strengthening relationship with Moscow could pose challenges for its expected trade negotiations with Washington. The renewed focus comes amid global geopolitical realignments that are reshaping strategic partnerships.
India’s heavy reliance on discounted Russian crude since the conflict in Ukraine has already led to strong responses from the US, such as higher tariffs on specific Indian imports related to Russian oil. These penalties underline how Washington regards India’s energy ties with Moscow as a sensitive issue in bilateral trade talks.
Trade between India and Russia has grown dramatically in recent years, driven principally by large-scale energy purchases. Some analysts believe that this increasing closeness of economic engagement may make US policymakers hesitant to move ahead with a comprehensive trade deal with India. Such concerns are fed by the perception that India’s choices could be out of step with American strategic priorities.
On the contrary, defenders of India’s foreign policy approach insist that New Delhi is pursuing a balanced “multi-alignment” policy whereby it is attempting to safeguard its national interest through good relations with all major powers. Indeed, they say, keeping diversified partnerships would prevent India from becoming beholden to any one geopolitical bloc.
The broader question now is whether India can sustain strong defence and energy cooperation with Russia while simultaneously advancing trade prospects with the US — or whether, as global power dynamics continue to shift, these parallel tracks will eventually clash.
