Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit India later this month, confirmed National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval on Thursday. His visit comes at a time when India is facing constant pressure from the United States (US) for buying Russian oil and has imposed 50 per cent tariffs on Indian products, barring a few exceptions.
Notably, Putin's visit was announced a day after it was confirmed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit China's Tianjin from August 31 to September 1 to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit. During his visit, the Prime Minister is also expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The two visits could lead to the revival of the Russia-India-China (RIC) Troika, as the US continues to pressurise New Delhi and Beijing for their closeness with Moscow.
What is the RIC?
The RIC trilateral strategic grouping was conceptualised by former Russian Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov in the 1990s in a bid to counter the growing Western hegemony. Since the 90s, the RIC has held 20 ministerial-level meetings. However, the RIC has remained inactive after ties between India and China deteriorated following the 2020 Galwan Valley clash.
Why is RIC a challenge for the West?
The RIC countries contribute to over 33 per cent of the global GDP, and they oppose the idea of unilateralism and have often pushed for a multipolar world. All three countries are nuclear powers and are also members of organisations such as the SCO, the BRICS and the G20.
What does India feel about the RIC?
Generally, India has maintained its distance from the RIC because of its strained relations with China. However, with a change in the geopolitical situation of the world and with Trump slapping tariffs on India for its closeness with Russia, New Delhi may have to rethink its strategy about the RIC.
Last month, India also showed its willingness to revive the RIC, saying any discussion about its revival would be taken in a "mutually convenient manner". "RIC is a consultative format, which is a mechanism where three countries come together to discuss global and regional issues of interest to them," said Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal in July.
Russia, China push for RIC's revival
Notably, both Russia and China have pushed for the revival of RIC. Last month, Russia said it is also holding discussions with India and China for the revival of the trilateral format. "This topic appears in our negotiations with both of them. We are interested in making this format work because these three countries are important partners, besides the founders of BRICS," said Russia's deputy foreign minister Andrei Rudeko.
Similarly, China has also pushed for RIC's revival and said that it is "interested in making this format work" because all three nations are founders of BRICS and important trading partners.
Will RIC be discussed during Putin's India visit?
There is a huge chance that New Delhi and Moscow may discuss the revival of RIC during Putin's visit to India. Putin's visit shows that India won't back down from its ties with Russia, despite repeated threats from the US.
Trump's tariff threats pushing India, China and Russia closer
Trump's tariff threats are also pushing the three nations closer, with both Russia and China criticising the Trump administration's decision to impose 50 per cent tariffs on India. With Trump showing no sign of backing down, there is a huge chance that India, Russia and China may revive the RIC to show a united front against the US.
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