New Delhi: India’s time-tested friend Russia is growing increasingly anxious about the Sino-Indian military standoff in the Dokalam area of Bhutan as it has dashed Moscow’s hopes of any Russia-China-India alliance or “triangle”. Russia was banking on a trilateral understanding between the three countries as its ties with the United States have nosedived even under the Trump administration.
Sources told this newspaper that Moscow is extremely “worried” over the developments. Russia has had a time-tested relationship with India that has withstood occasional strains caused by India’s growing proximity to the United States and Moscow’s perceived retaliatory move at firming up ties with China’s all-weather friend Pakistan.
But even Russia has realised that Pakistan can never supplant India in any such “triangle”. This leaves Moscow with the unenviable task of balancing its ties with New Delhi and Beijing amid deterioration in Sino-Indian ties.
Sources said that Moscow is “closely watching” the developments in Dokalam, even as Indian troops have dug in their heels with the Chinese are stepping the rhetoric with daily warnings to India. Indian troops had to enter Dokalam to protect Bhutan’s territorial integrity.
