India and China are aware of the “very high political, economic and military cost of frozen relations,” he says. “China felt it had pushed India too close to the U.S. while India realized that it was losing its vaunted strategic autonomy by getting too close to Washington and turning Beijing into an adversary.”

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said India's purchases of Russian crude were funding Moscow's war in Ukraine and had to stop, adding that New Delhi was "now cozying up to both Russia and China.

Threatened by Washington with 50% tariffs, India, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has responded by turning to its powerful neighbors. The Indian foreign minister is set to visit Russia soon, while the Chinese foreign minister is expected in New Delhi on Monday.

The Indian Air Force will soon retire its remaining contingent of Soviet-era MiG-21 fighters after six decades of service.

Yoga guru Ramdev on Friday claimed that India will soon join hands with Russia and China to put an end to the "political and economic hooliganism of America"

India's equity benchmarks are likely to open marginally higher on Thursday, tracking the broader sentiment in Asia, but caution ahead of Russia-U.S. talks over the war in Ukraine could cap the upside in a holiday-truncated week.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats said tariffs on India will not stop Russia or address the Ukraine war. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated secondary sanctions could rise. India called the targeting “unjustified,

India is considering a proposal to co-develop Russia’s T-14 Armata main battle tank. The deal has an obvious logic for both sides.