Moscow is certainly whoring itself out recently, as evidenced by the final paragraph in this Taipei Times article (via DTR):
Next month, Russian and Indian troops will also hold their first joint maneuvers against potential threats by militants on land and sea in Rajasthan in northwestern India and in the Indian Ocean.
Pakistan test fires a cruise missile without warning India right before a ban on such non-reported activity goes into effect, and then India readies itself for a war game next door with Russia. Fun times.
For Russia this is basically a middle finger to Beijing for its wish to utilize the current ongoing war games with Moscow as a very direct threat to Taiwan and its American backer. India’s obviously no friend of China, so Russia’s very visible military cooperation with New Delhi can be considered a reminder of its true, Russo-centric intentions. Also, such cooperation will, at least in Putin’s mind, increase Indian dependence on Russian military tech and help bring the country over into Russia’s sphere of influence sometime down the line. If China is the impetus for such an alliance, then so be it for Putin — India’s a rival power, but its sights are not directly set on the former Soviet Republics of Central Asia as China’s are.
In the end, though, India’s the real winner here all the way around. New US weaponry and nuclear cooperation, which will soon be coupled with perceived Russian military support. Pakistan, China, and Nepalese Maoist rebels alike should probably be a little more than concerned at this point.
Cross-posted from Digital Dissent