India has long maintained a non-aligned foreign policy, but Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has placed pressure on New Delhi to pick a side, and placed in sharp relief India’s historic relations with Russia in the face of a rising China.
History shows the former Soviet Union used its veto on several occasions to protect India against various international resolutions regarding Kashmir, India’s invasion of Goa, and the 1971 war with Pakistan which led to the creation of Bangladesh, and India has abstained on votes condemning Soviet invasions of Czechoslovakia and Afghanistan
But India staying friends with many different countries is also a key aspect of its foreign policy, while its bilateral relations with both Russia, the main supplier of weapons to India, and China are also factors to consider.