Modi-Putin Friendship Reflects Shared Views on Multipolarity, Multilateralism

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Kazan for the BRICS summit sends a strong message to the West about the state's commitment to multipolarity and multilateralism, experts have said.

The expression of friendship between India and Russia clearly shows to the world, particularly the US and its allies, that the relationship between these two nations is based on an independent and autonomous foreign policy and a common worldview on various global issues, including common positions on multipolarity, multilateralism, and United Nations reforms, Dr. Sanjay Kumar Pandey, professor at the Centre for Russian and Central Asian Studies at premier Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi, told Sputnik India.

Both Russia and India see eye-to-eye even on many burning subjects like the ongoing Israeli war in Gaza, Pandey emphasised. While India has supported Israel regarding terrorism issues, it also advocates for a two-state solution, backing an independent state of Palestine.

"So this visit of PM Modi to Kazan signals to the West and the world at large that India and Russia are two long-standing partners and friends, who are committed to a multipolar world," Pandey stated on Tuesday.

India has a very deep-rooted and time-tested friendship with Russia, which is largely because of the mutual respect the two nations share for each other, Dr. Sanjay Deshpande, who is the Director of the Centre for Eurasian Studies at the University of Mumbai, noted in a conversation with Sputnik India.

While India relies on Russia for energy security and military supplies, Russia views India as a key player not only in South Asia but also on the global stage, he reckoned.

Besides, the Indian economy is growing at an exponential pace, and is on course to become the third largest on the planet, which would help Russia in tackling the Western-imposed sanctions, Deshpande pointed out.

"Moreover, one must not forget that Moscow has helped New Delhi in its troubled times, and hence, it is good to see that India is now backing Russia at a critical juncture. That's why I believe the core message of the bonhomie between Modi and President Vladimir Putin is that no friction can be created in the India-Russia friendship and the West should stop putting pressure on India to end its association with Russia," the commentator opined.

The popularity of BRICS has grown significantly in recent months, with around 34 sovereign states eager to join this influential forum.

However, academic Pandey has urged caution regarding further expansion, emphasising that, having already doubled its membership from the original five earlier this year, BRICS needs to ensure that new entrants can contribute meaningfully to its agenda.

Therefore, before admitting new nations, the bloc should ensure that existing members can effectively coordinate their efforts and maintain cohesion, the pundit said, to avoid the forum becoming unmanageable.

BRICS includes platforms like the New Development Bank (NDB), which assists non-member states; for example, Bangladesh and Algeria are members of the NDB but not of BRICS, he highlighted.

The expert believes that positive relations between India and China – two of the most important member countries in the BRICS among the five founders of the original grouping – can elevate the geopolitical influence of the group as a whole on the world stage.

"If PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are seen shaking hands or holding a meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS, it will keep the leadership of both countries in good stead, which would send a good signal to the world that the two large BRICS members can cooperatively resolve their issues." Pandey stressed. "Since the world is looking at the atmospherics and the semantics, healthy neighborly relations between these two Asian giants will showcase BRICS in a far more positive light."

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