Putin the ‘glue’ as India, China reach Ladakh border truce?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi showing a thumbs-up with Russian President Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping by his side was one of the lasting images from the gala concert hosted for Brics leaders in Kazan. It not only captured the camaraderie among the leaders but sowed hope of a normalisation in ties between India and China as they reached an agreement to end the military standoff in eastern Ladakh.
Even at the private dinner hosted by Putin, the Russian President was seen seated between PM Modi and Xi Jinping. The moments indicate deepening diplomatic relations between the three countries at a time when the West has attempted to isolate Russia over its Ukraine offensive.
It also comes at a time when there has been friction between India and Canada and the United States over the harbouring of Khalistani sympathisers.
The viral photos from the event have led to questions swirling on social media whether Putin played a role in helping India and China reach a truce after years of unproductive talks on the border standoff.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi enter a hall for the family photo in Kazan (Reuters)

“Putin is the geopolitical glue between Xi Jinping and Modi for the two Asian giants to manage their strategic rivalry with pragmatism while avoiding big escalation,” tweeted geopolitical strategist Velina Tchakarova.
Apart from providing a conducive atmosphere for talks, the fact that the two countries chose Russia to hold the first bilateral meeting between PM Modi and Xi Jinping in five years signals the trust Putin enjoys among both Asian leaders.
In fact, Russia has never shied away from publicly asserting that it was “interested” in ensuring friendship between India and China. In 2023, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, during his visit to Delhi, said the country would like India and China to meet more often.
“We have excellent relations with India and excellent relations with China… We are interested in these two great nations to be friends, and we are trying to be helpful,” Lavrov had said.
India sees Russia as a “time-tested friend” that has played a significant role in its economic development and security. Recently, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said Russia had never done anything to impact India’s interests negatively. Xi Jinping has also praised Beijing’s “profound friendship” with Moscow.
Russia also stands to gain from an improved China-India relationship. Both India and China have provided Russia with economic support by buying cheap oil following crippling sanctions imposed by the West.
The thaw in India-China ties has ignited hopes for the revival of the trilateral Russia-India-China (RIC) format, which came into being in the 2000s to challenge the unipolar dominance of the United States.
However, the protracted military standoff between India and China saw the RIC being gradually overshadowed by the Brics and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).