Indian troops have participated within the Russian-led Zapad-2025 army drills, Russian state company TASS stated on Tuesday, highlighting Moscow’s shut ties with New Delhi, whose rising ties with america have been strained by the imposition of hefty tariffs by President Donald Trump.
The Indian Ministry of Defence confirmed that it had despatched 65 armed forces personnel to take part within the five-day military exercise, a theatrical demonstration of firepower carried out collectively by Russia and Belarus to check their fight readiness within the occasion of an invasion.
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The manoeuvres, which featured 100,000 troops in a show of would possibly that included nuclear-capable bombers and warships, passed off at a time of heightened rigidity with NATO international locations, coming simply days after the downing of Russian drones in Poland final week.
“At this time we’re conducting the ultimate a part of the Zapad 2025 strategic train,” stated Putin, sporting a army uniform.
India was not the one overseas energy concerned, with “activity forces and army contingents” from Iran, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Mali additionally becoming a member of in, TASS reported, citing the Kremlin.
However India’s participation, led by a battalion of the extremely revered Kumaon Regiment and aimed toward strengthening “the spirit of cooperation and mutual belief” with Russia, may have raised eyebrows amid indicators that the US could also be shedding a key ally in Asia, seen as an essential counterweight to China.
Strains emerged between the 2 international locations final month after the Trump administration imposed 50 % tariffs on Indian imports, accusing New Delhi of fuelling Moscow’s lethal assaults on Ukraine with its purchases of Russian oil.
Earlier this month, Trump appeared to verify the rift, posting on social media that each India and Russia appeared to have been “misplaced” to “deepest, darkest China” because the three international locations cozied up on the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin.
India-US ties again on observe?
However final week, Trump introduced on X that India and the US are persevering with negotiations to deal with commerce obstacles between the 2 nations. He beforehand accused India of imposing excessive tariffs on US items.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi responded to Trump’s publish on X, saying: “India and the US are shut pals and pure companions”.
“I’m assured that our commerce negotiations will pave the best way for unlocking the limitless potential of the India-US partnership,” Modi added.
On Tuesday, Modi thanked Trump for wishing him a cheerful seventy fifth birthday.
“Thanks, my buddy, President Trump, on your telephone name and heat greetings on my seventy fifth birthday. Such as you, I’m additionally totally dedicated to taking the India-US Complete and World Partnership to new heights,” he posted on X.
This isn’t the primary time that India has participated in Russian army workout routines. In 2021, shortly earlier than Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, New Delhi stated it despatched an unspecified variety of troops to Russia’s Volgograd area to affix actions linked to “Counter Terrorism and Typical operations”.
India’s ties with Russia return to the erstwhile USSR, which supplied intensive assist to the Indian financial system. All through the Chilly Warfare, India selected to stay non-aligned, however it sourced most of its weapons from the Soviet Union.
New Delhi nonetheless buys most of its defence tools from Moscow, however over the previous twenty years, it has tried to diversify its weapons imports.
Iran-Russia proceed strategic alignment
Iran additionally participated on this yr’s Zapad, based on the TASS, although the presence of its troops was not confirmed by official channels.
Tehran is understood to be an in depth strategic companion of Russia, supplying it with self-detonating Shahed drones used within the Ukraine battle and, based on Western intelligence sources, ballistic missiles.
This yr, the 2 international locations signed a “comprehensive strategic partnership treaty”, deepening their relationship on army and different fronts.
Tehran and Moscow launched a joint army drill within the Caspian Sea after Israel launched bombings of Iran, resulting in 12 days of war. The US additionally joined the battle after focusing on an Iranian nuclear website with bunker buster bombs.
On Tuesday, the US confirmed that its army officers noticed the army drills yesterday after accepting an invite to the occasion.
The US presence on the sidelines comes because it tries to wrestle Russia into bringing its battle in Ukraine to an finish, whereas looking for nearer ties with Belarus.
