When India was purchasing weapons from Russia, Moscow wasnt selling any to China?! Moscow was happy to hug china irrespective of any Indian concerns.Y. Kanan wrote: The Russians were pushed into an alliance with China not just by years of US hostility but also due to India switching to US military purchases over that same time period. All those multi billion dollar Indian acquisitions helped push Russia into the Chinese camp. The last decade or so of Indian govts definitely played a big role in creating this new Russo-Sino-Pak chumminess.
It turns out that cozying up to Uncle Sam at Russia's expense actually did have consequences, despite the protestations of many sage BRF-ites that we could have our cake and eat it, too. I warned against this us taking this path for years and I still think we bet on the wrong horse.
India continues to buy bulk of its military supplies from Russia, but a few contracts not going their way has pissed the Russians sufficiently to get pally with Pakistan. We should continue to buy from Russia so as to ensure their friendship!! What kind of friendship is that?!
India went into the USSR camp because of US insistence of `either with us or against us` logic in 50s and 60s. If Russia insists on the same today, we should be happy to make friends wherever we want. Independent foreign policy (military acquisitions included) are a prerogative of the Indian govt and should remain so.