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Showing posts with the label Russia- Pakistan ties

Su-35s for Pak: Pie in the sky ( Source- Russia & India Report / Author- Rakesh Krishnan Simha)

Sukhoi SU-35 ( Image source- Wikimedia Commons / Author- Vitaly Kuzmin) Source- Russia & India Report Author- Rakesh Krishnan Simha Is Russia planning to win friends in Pakistan and lose influence in India? If Russia sells the advanced Su-35 fighter aircraft to Pakistan, it is likely to lead to a major diplomatic rift with India. So why did Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov make the statement that Russia and Pakistan were “negotiating for the delivery of an unspecified number of Su-35 jets” to Islamabad? The best case scenario is that Russia is keen to ensure India’s return to its fold. As India enters into an increasing number of defence partnerships with Russia’s rivals, particularly Israel and the US, but also France and the UK, Moscow believes two can play the game. It is in this backdrop that Russia has entered into a defence cooperation agreement with Pakistan. Another reason could be that the judgement of some Kremlin players is clouded by the pres

The Emerging China-Russia Maritime Nexus in the Eurasian Commons ( Source- The Diplomat / Author- Abhijit Singh)

Image credits- USNI Source- The Diplomat Author- Abhijit Singh One of the more interesting aspects of Asian maritime politics is the Russia-China naval relationship. Both are major maritime powers with considerable stakes in regional security. Like Beijing, Moscow has sought to safeguard its maritime interests in strategically vital spaces in the Asia-Pacific by initiating a military modernization program aimed at projecting a strong national image. Significantly, despite having common areas of interest and operations, the PLA Navy and the Russian Navy have managed to maintain a smooth working relationship, which has only been getting stronger with time. The nautical synergy was on ample display last month when the Russian and Chinese navies embarked on their latest maritime exercise. “Joint Sea 2015 II,” held in the Sea of Japan between August 20and 28, was an interaction of unprecedented operational integration and a workout menu that featured live-firing drills, an

Coming Soon: Russian Su-35s to Pakistan and American F-35s to India? ( Source- The National Interest / Author- Dave Majumdar)

Sukhoi SU-35 ( Image source- Wikimedia Commons / Author- Aleksandr Medvedev) Source- The National Interest Author- Dave Majumdar Russia seems to be eager to antagonize both friend and foe alike these days. In a move that seems to be completely inexplicable, Russia is apparently negotiating to sell Pakistan advanced Sukhoi Su-35 Flanker-E fighters along with Mi-35 Hind-E attack helicopters. Perhaps more amazingly, the Russians don’t seem to grasp that their Indian allies are likely to react extremely negatively at the prospect of such a deal. “I do not think that the contracts under discussion will cause jealousy on the part of any of the two sides,” Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov told state-owned Russian media outlet Sputnik on Sept. 9. Despite the fact that the two South Asian nations share linguistic, cultural, geographic and economic links—and are part of the same civilization—they have fought three full-scale wars over the past several deca

Russia, China and Pakistan: An Emerging New Axis? ( Source- The Diplomat / Author- Joy Mitra)

Credits- Internet image, author Source- The Diplomat Author- Joy Mitra In geopolitics, strategic realities can change with surprising speed, and even before countries realize it decisive shifts occur that shape the future for the years to come. That seems to be the case with traditional Cold War rivals Russia and Pakistan, which have of late seen a gradual warming of ties. Traditionally an ally of India and hitherto supportive of India’s stance on Kashmir, Russia has shown clear signs of cozying up to Pakistan. Having earlier lifted its self-imposed arms embargo on Pakistan, in November 2014 Russia signed a landmark “military cooperation” agreement with Pakistan, which spoke about “exchanging information on politico-military issues, strengthening collaboration in the defense and counter-terrorism sectors, sharing similar views on developments in Afghanistan and doing business with each other.” There have been reports that Pakistan may purchase Mi-35 combat helicopters

Russia and India: A 21st Century Decline ( Source- The Diplomat / Author- Jayant Singh)

Image credits- Kremlin Official image gallery Source- The Diplomat Author- Jayant Singh As strategic relations go, few countries can match the enduring partnership that India and Russia have shared since the 1960s. For close to half a century Russia has been New Delhi’s foremost military supplier. In fact, defense trade became the raison d’être for strategic relations between the two nations – particularly in the post-Cold War era. Yet Russia’s share of military sales to India is now in steady decline. In consonance with India’s enhanced geopolitical status and strategic rapprochement with the U.S., New Delhi has found new partners in the West. And what was once the defining aspect of the bilateral relationship with Russia is threatening to become a heavy burden for both partners. This shift has been a decade in the making and can be traced back to the 123 Agreement that India signed with the U.S. The pursuit of a “strategic partnership” with India is perhaps the most

Weakest part of Russia’s relations with India ( Source- The Russia & India report, Author- Petr Topychkanov )

Image credits- Wikipedia Commons/ Igor Dvurekov Source- The Russia & India Report Author-  Petr Topychkanov The visit to Pakistan by a large delegation from the Russian Ministry of Defence, led by Sergey Shoygu last month once again showed a particular weakness in Russia-India relations, and in particular, government and public relations. There are at least two reasons that should make the Russian authorities pay careful attention to government and public relations. The first reason is the complicated relationship between India and Pakistan. In the context of this relationship any news about the development of Russian-Pakistan relations can be negatively interpreted in India. The second reason is the existence in political, business and media circles of Indian groups largely focused on countries other than Russia. For this group the above mentioned weakness in Russia-India relations is a gift which they will use to criticise Russia and promote the interests of oth

PAKISTAN AND RUSSIA SIGN DEFENCE AND MILITARY COOPERATION AGREEMENT – ANALYSIS ( Source- The Eurasia Review, Author- Dr. Subash Kapila)

Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu ( Image credits- Wikimedia Commons/ Author-  www.kremlin.ru . ) Source- Eurasia Review Author- Dr. Subash Kapila Pakistan and Russia signed a ‘Defence and Military Cooperation Agreement’ on November 20 in Rawalpindi during the significantly first-ever visit of a Russian Defence Minister to Pakistan in the changing security environment. Coming as it does virtually on the eve of the visit of the Russian President to India, what does one in India read in the latest political signalling by Russia in South Asia? Was India kept in the loop by Russia of the signing of the ‘Defence and Military Cooperation Agreement’ with Pakistan? Is it just connected with the impending exit of US Forces from Afghanistan or is it a recasting of its strategic blueprint by Russia in South Asia? The Indian policy establishment needs to decipher this. Significant was a statement in the Pakistani media quoted in inverted commas attributing it to the Russian

Pakistan Courts Both US and Russia on Defense ( Source- The Diplomat, Author- Ankit Panda)

Mi-35 ( Image credits- Wikimedia Commons) Source- The Diplomat Author- Ankit Panda Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited Pakistan for a day-long visit on Thursday. During his visit to Islamabad, Shoigu met Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the two addressed several issues related to security and defense cooperation between Russia and Pakistan. The two countries will sign an important memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation that will form the foundation of their growing defense partnership. Although Russia is a major arms exporter to Pakistan’s rival India, it is looking to shore up its involvement in Pakistan amid that country’s growing appetite for Russian hardware. Most recently, Pakistan concluded a deal to purchased MI-35 Hind helicopters from Russia. According to Dawn, Russia’s decision to court Pakistan as a defense customer was in part spurred by growing ties between the United States and India. Although Russia has been major militar

Russia Lifts Embargo on Weapons Sales to Pakistan ( Copy Right @ The Moscow Times)

Mi-35 ( Image courtesy- Wikimedia Commons/ Author- Igor Dvurekov) Russia has lifted an embargo on weapons deliveries to Pakistan and is negotiating the sale of a number of Mi-35 attack helicopters to Islamabad, Sergei Chemezov, head of state-owned technology corporation Rostec, told Itar-Tass on Monday. The potential delivery of weapons and military hardware to Pakistan from Moscow could create tension between Russia and India, which has a long-standing rivalry with neighboring Pakistan. Historically, Russia has sold more weaponry to India — Russia delivered just 70 Mi-17 transport helicopters to Pakistan from 1996 to 2010. In 2012, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, who oversees the defense industry, seemingly took offense to Indian journalists asking him whether Moscow could supply Pakistan with weapons in future. Russia "always cooperates with India to ensure safety in the region. We have never created problems for India, unlike other countries. If someone says d