Meaning of Putin’s victory for India

Two things were already considered certain before the presidential elections in Russia – one, Vladimir Putin will be re-elected as President and he will win with a huge majority and two, if Putin wins, Western countries will criticize the elections. The reason for such reaction from the West is that for some time, especially after the Ukraine war, tension between Russia and Western countries has increased a lot. Both the camps are in a state of war. In such a situation, criticism from the West is expected. It should also be underlined that the West’s agenda to remove Putin from power has been going on for many years. In a way, Putin is the last man standing against the West. The war between Russia and Ukraine has taken the form of a proxy war between Russia and the West. Western leaders have been saying for a long time that Putin is a dictator and there is no democratic system in Russia under his leadership. In such a situation, their reaction regarding the election results is natural and there is nothing new in it. In my opinion this reaction is indicative of the West’s frustration and anger.

The special thing about this election is that a large number of people have exercised their franchise. It is noteworthy that the people of Russia are very proud and nationalist. When the question of security of the country comes, unity becomes very strong and people want to see a strong leader in power in such a situation. Many such examples can be seen in Russian history. This has gone in Putin’s favor and people have expressed confidence in him. The existence of other parties or candidates in Russia is not so big that they could present a serious challenge to Putin. It is also that the person who is in power gets institutional advantage in elections and is able to campaign more effectively. Despite the Ukraine war and numerous Western sanctions, Russia’s economy is growing significantly. Its foreign exchange and gold reserves have increased. The Russian currency ruble is in a balanced position and people’s income has increased. Although economic sanctions cause problems, Putin has still been successful in taking his country forward. Now whether this war is economy or whatever is a matter of debate, but the truth is that the economic situation has improved.

It can be said that an anti-Putin leader was in jail and died, due to which questions are being raised on Russia’s democratic system. But it is also important to understand that the British model of democracy is being opposed in many places in the world. Many people have started saying that every country has its own culture, people have different way of thinking and understanding, and on this basis leaders and people try to take their country forward. What this means is that every place has its own definition of democracy. Strong leaders are in power in many countries. When questions were raised about democracy in America during the era of Donald Trump, Putin had said that Russia’s democratic system is comparatively better. This election can be seen on these grounds. Putin got more than 87 percent votes. This figure may seem unbelievable, but we should not forget that the opposition there is nominal and does not have widespread public support. In a way, the situation is that there is no alternative to Putin there.

As far as Putin’s victory and India’s relations with Russia are concerned, our relations are very old and have strengthened in recent years. Today bilateral trade has reached around 65 billion dollars. There is also a deep friendship between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Putin. There is also a good strategic partnership between the two countries. Be it bilateral relations, or forums and issues of G-20, BRICS, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, United Nations etc., despite the Ukraine war and geopolitical events, relations between the two countries have improved. Efforts have certainly been made in India to assess whether in the event of a war with Ukraine, Russia can continue supplying arms and other military equipment to India as before or not. An attempt has also been made to explain to what extent Russia can be helpful in India’s self-reliance campaign or initiatives like Make in India. A big proof of the closeness between the two countries is that President Putin often praises Prime Minister Modi. He keeps saying that India is making great progress under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi and in today’s era no country can put it under pressure.

In this background, it is clear that Prime Minister Modi and President Putin are committed to expanding bilateral relations. The message sent by the Indian Prime Minister after his victory also reflects the spirit of mutual trust and cooperation. The continuity of political leadership of countries provides a great basis to relations. President Putin will remain in office for at least the next six years and there is a possibility of continuity in India as well. There is no doubt that when the leadership is powerful, the work of taking forward policies and decisions also gains momentum. In such a situation, mutual relations and cooperation will definitely expand in the coming years. Russia needs China to help counter the West, but Russia will not succumb to its pressure. Russia is the largest country in the world but its population is very less, due to which it faces the problem of human resources. There are other challenges too. It also needs India to balance China. If ever a situation arises for peace talks and agreement between America, Western countries and Russia, then India definitely has the ability to play a positive role in it.
(These are the personal views of the author.)