India-Russia relations (21st Century Crisis)

India-Russia relations (Russian: Oтношения Индия-Россия Otnosheniya Indiya-Rossiya, Hindi: भारत-रूस संबंध) also known as Russo-Indian relations or Indo-Russian relations are the bilateral relations between the Republic of India and the United Russian Republics.

Although once shared close and important relations, India's decision to support North Syria and the King Fahad regime in the Syrian Civil War has largely strained relations between the two countries. At one point in its history, India was Russia's largest importer of arms, and was considered one of Russia's largest global allies. During the First Cold War, the Soviet Union supported India in the various Indo-Pakistani wars.

Currently, 68% of Russians see India in a negative light, and 40% of Indians see Russia in a positive light.

2010-present - relations sour
In 2010, India's decision to support the King Fahad regime angered Russia, thus, setting off a series of events that has severely strained relations between the two nations. Thus, Russia immedietely ceased all arms exports to India, and blacklisted India on its list of "potential threats".

The reason was simple: Russia had feared that the Indian military, which had chosen to supply the anti-Assad rebels, who possibly arm the rebels with Russian weaponry. Therefore, Russia cancelled all contracts with India.

This also included expelling all Indian diplomats from Russia.

President Dmitry Medvedev called it an act of ultimate betrayal, and stated that Russia would halt all military ties with India.

Thus, as Russia largest move of retaliation, Russia began to side with China on the Tibet issue, and made moves implying that it had sided with Pakistan on the Kashmir issue. Soon, Pakistan's military was supplied by both Russia and China, Pakistan's long-time backer.

Diplomats were expelled from both nations.

The Indian government responded swiftly, criticizing Russia of backing corrupt militaries around the world. Russia then enacted sanctions against India.

In 2013, the Russo-Pakistani Treaty was signed, cementing a military allyship between Russia and Pakistan. Pakistan was one of the many countries that sided with the Bashar al-Assad regime. In addition, Pakistan gave Russia permission to use bases as well.

Now that Pakistan was under the wings of two military superpowers, India began asking the west for military aid.

In 2018, on the verge of re-instating Indian diplomats in Russia and allowing the Indian embassy in Moscow to open, the Latakia incident, in which a Russian base had been attacked by Indian-North Syrians, halted all progress, and Vladimir Putin retracted on his decision to continued relations with India.

The Indian government's accusation against Russian troops for harrassing the Indian-North Syrians has not helped the situation.

In 2017, Russia, Pakistan and China held their first-ever war games, in Azad Kashmir, in which Indians have accused Russia of purposefully hosting the war games near India's doorsteps. Over 300 Russian warplanes, 93 Chinese warplanes and 24 Pakistani warplanes partook in the event.

Sergei Lavrov admitted to it, saying, "Of course we purposefully chose Kashmir, we want those Indian traitors to know who they are messing with, and the fate that awaits them once they decide to make another childish decision like they did in 2010."

In a rebuttal to Indian nationalists for supporting Pakistan, Putin stated, "Well, it is in 2010 that India committed their largest act of teachery against a nation who so loved them and defended them. They have refused to retract from their actions, and they continue to support terrorists in North Syria, therefore, this chain of events is all of India's doing. They have helped us choose who our new South Asian ally shall be [Pakistan]."

However, because India is not a committed ally of the United States, the United States could do little. However, Barack Obama did send small batches of U.S. Marines to India, at the request of the Indian government. Obama stated that he stated with India, and would help India combat an "axis of evil invasion" (Russia-China-Pakistan),