By Tass
Copyright tass
NEW DELHI, September 16. /TASS/. By participating in the Zapad 2025 exercises, India confirms its independent foreign policy course and continuity in defense cooperation with Russia, said Dr. Rajneesh Kumar, Director General of Indian International Trade Development Organisation heading the Defence and Security.
“Labeling India’s participation in the Russia-Belarus war game as ‘crossing a red line’ is misleading. I say so because India has since long been conducting joint exercises with Russia which also happens to be its longtime friend and an enduring defence partner. This exercise is only a continuation of that military tradition and by no measure a sudden geopolitical tilt,” he said.
“New Delhi’s foreign policy choices rest on our philosophy of strategic autonomy, where the foreign policy decisions are taken based on national interest and certainly not on any external endorsements.”
The expert stressed that India’s participation in the exercises is “not a provocation. Actually India by doing so is simply asserting its independence of decision and continuity in defence cooperation with Russia.”
The Belarusian-Russian Zapad 2025 exercises began on September 12 and will end on September 16 in Belarus. India sent 65 soldiers to the maneuvers. Its Defense Ministry said that participation in the Zapad 2025 exercises will further deepen defense cooperation and strengthen the spirit of camaraderie between India and Russia.
Earlier, The Times claimed that India is crossing the red line by joining the drills saying that New Delhi’s decision to join the maneuvers at a time of heightened tensions between Russia and NATO was an alarming signal. The story said India has a long history of military integration with Moscow and is traditionally one of the largest buyers of Russian weapons. It also participated in several other Russian military exercises.
