Russia and the West battle to get China and India on side in the war

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to the biggest clash in decades between Moscow and the West. Both are competing to persuade some of the world’s most powerful nations, namely China and India, to take a side in the conflict.

Both Russia and the U.K. sent their foreign ministers to India on Thursday, making for a somewhat awkward diplomatic clash, with both looking to woo Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government on trade and the Ukraine war.

Ahead of the official visits, U.K. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said her aim was to impress upon Delhi’s administration that “deeper ties between Britain and India will boost security in the Indo-Pacific and globally, and create jobs and opportunities in both countries. That matters even more in the context of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine,” she said.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, whose visit concludes Friday, has been looking to boost trade ties and sell more oil to India as it faces widespread energy import boycotts in Europe and the United States.

One of the U.S.’ top advisors, Daleep Singh, also traveled to India on Wednesday for a two-day trip to “consult closely with counterparts on the consequences of Russia’s unjustified war against Ukraine and mitigating its impact on the global economy,” the White House said.

Western nations, which have imposed massive sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, are trying to shut off Moscow’s economic escape routes, such as those offered by the sale of oil and gas to China and India. Russia, for its part, is looking to circumnavigate sanctions through the allegiances it has built with its Asian neighbors.

Following Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, condemnation of Moscow’s aggression was almost universal. But some countries, allied with or friendly toward Russia, were more equivocal.

On March 2, 141 countries voted in favor of a U.N. General Assembly resolution deploring Russia’s invasion. Five countries — Belarus, North Korea, Eritrea, Syria and, of course, Russia — voted against it, while 35 abstained, including China and India. Further votes on other resolutions deploring the war have since taken place, with China and India maintaining their neutral stance.

Both China and India are believed to be wary about the war behind closed doors. Of particular concern to China is the uncertainty it brings to global relations and trade. India, for its part, has extensive defense ties with Russia and is an importer of Russian oil.

Analysts said both powers are hoping for a cease-fire sooner rather than later, despite President Vladimir Putin showing little signs of de-escalating the conflict.

“India’s position has raised many eyebrows around the world,” Ankit Panda of the Carnegie Endowment for International…