Russia is a power with an enormous tradition of statecraft and it is turning more towards Asia or non-West parts of the world, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on February 23, delving into current geopolitical developments and their fall-outs.
In an interactive session at the Raisina Dialogue, Mr. Jaishankar, replying to a question on Moscow’s growing proximity with Beijing, said it makes sense to give Russia multiple options and that railroading it into a single option and criticising it for that would be like a self-fulfilling prophecy.
“Russia is a power with an enormous tradition of statecraft. Such powers would never put themselves into a single relationship of an overwhelming nature. It would go against their grain,” he said.
The External Affairs Minister was asked to comment on the intensification of ties between Russia and China and whether India was uncomfortable with it.
“What’s happened today with Russia essentially is that a lot of doors have been shut to Russia and the West. We know the reasons why. Russia is turning more to Asia or to parts of the world which are not West,” he said.
The External Affairs Minister suggested that policies of the West are bringing Russia and China closer.
“It’s kind of funny — on the one hand you have people who set policies (and) bring the two together and then you say beware of them coming together,” he said.
The question was asked by Michael Fullilove, Executive Director of Lowy Institute, Australia.
