National Security Advisor Ajit Doval during talks with his Russian counterpart Nikolai Patrushev this week is reported to have expressed concern over Moscow’s marked tilt towards China which could have an adverse fallout for India’s security in view of the faceoff in Ladakh.

According to a report in the Hindustan Times, “Ajit Doval made it clear to his Russian counterpart at the meeting in Moscow that India only takes decisions based on its national interests and questioned Russia’s ‘‘no limits” partnership with China as this directly impacted New Delhi’s security concerns.”

However, at the same time NSA Doval also used the occasion to clear any doubts that Russia may have had that India had distanced itself from its long-standing strategic partner and moved closer to the West. He emphasised that India only takes decisions based on its national-interest and is not bound to any camp, the Hindustan Times report states. 

The two sides also discussed the Chinese power projection after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's August 2 Taiwan visit with Russia expressing concern over the rapid militarisation of the Indo-Pacific.

With Russian energy exports from Vladivostok being impacted by the growing China-US tussle in the Indo-Pacific, Moscow is concerned about the military response by Japan, Taiwan and US over the Chinese missile firing around Taiwan after Pelosi’s visit.

At the NSA level dialogue, the two sides also discussed cooperation in atomic energy, space, trade, and investment with both countries worried about the developments in Afghanistan. 

Doval also met the newly appointed Russian Deputy Prime Minister in-charge of weapon industries Denis Manturov. New Delhi is worried that with the war in Ukraine getting prolonged supply of Russian spare parts for India’s defence hardware may get impacted.

In the past the Russians have also been nudging India for a Russia-India-China (RIC) Summit –  a move that India has rejected because of the Chinese intrusions in Ladakh.