The economic strength, political influence, and military reach of the West are not as dominant as before, India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar believes.
According to India's top diplomat, a number of new power centers have emerged, setting the stage for a multipolar world.
"The overall influence of the West in the global order is being toppled. The West is still a dominant force but if you compare it with the power the West wielded in 1945, '55, '65, '75... obviously the economic share of the West - not to mention its political influence or military reach - all these are not as dominant as they used to be," the minister said.
Jaishankar, who has persistently exposed the West’s hypocrisy in its approach towards Russia, says that India needs to remain an independent power.
"The world will respect a country which stands up for itself, which has its own well-defined interests and is able to articulate them,” he emphasized.
The politician added that India has now started shaping global discussions and in the next few days it will also have the capacity to tackle global issues around the world. In the 21st century, the new world can only be ruled by the power of data, technology, and ideas, the minister underlined.
On Saturday, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov praised India’s neutral stance on Ukraine, particularly the fact that New Delhi has not joined western sanctions against Moscow despite umpteen requests by Washington.
"In a natural way, India is one of the countries that not only aspires to be, but is at the core of forming a multipolar world as one of the most important poles," Lavrov said.
The Russian minister also criticized the US for putting pressure on its partners to bring them to their side.
"The US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman visited India, trying to convince India to join the sanctions. She said that they talked and she explained to India where its interests lie. This is how they treat their partners that are considered great powers," Lavrov mentioned.
Despite western pressure, New Delhi has stiffened its sinews and strengthened its energy ties with Russia since Moscow’s special military operation began in Ukraine. As a result, Russia has occupied the top position among countries supplying oil to India — the world’s third-largest consumer, replacing Iraq and Saudi Arabia with a 21 percent share in November.