The border tension between India and China — which erupted again into conflict last month — has triggered concerns from Russia, given its good relationship with both conflicting parties.

Russian Presidential Spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, expressed Moscow’s concern over the military clash between Beijing and New Delhi in the disputed Ladakh in Galwan Valley last month. However, Peskov was optimistic India and China would be able to resolve the dispute soon.

Russian Statement: Wants Stability in the Region for Both Nations

“Certainly, we are watching with great attention what is happening on the Chinese-Indian border. We believe that this is a very alarming report. But we consider that the two countries are capable of taking necessary steps to prevent such situations in the future and to ensure that there is predictability and stability in the region and that this is a safe region for nations, first of all, China and India,” Peskov said last month.

The border dispute between Beijing and New Delhi is seen as a test for Russia’s partnership with both conflicted countries. Speculations have emerged whether Moscow will take sides with either of them or refrain from acting as a mediator.

What’s Behind the China-India Border Dispute?

The fight in Ladakh in the middle of June — which claimed the lives of 20 Indian soldiers and escalated tensions significantly — was the third after past clashes in 1962 and 1975.

The Galwan River Valley—known for its harsh climate—is located along with the West sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Legally it is inside India’s territory and close to Aksai Chin. China controls the disputed area despite it being claimed by India.

Ladakh is India’s highest altitude. It is a desert with a temperature reaching minus 20 Celsius degrees during the winter.

Former colonel and Indian military observer Ajai Shukla told BBC last May that Galwan had been the hot spot as that is the nearest LAC to a new road constructed by India along the most remote and most vulnerable LAC in Ladakh. The road construction has raised China’s suspicion as the road can potentially serve to mobilize India’s troops and military equipment if a conflict erupts.

Russia’s Friendship with China and India

China’s numerous conflicts with the US — ranging from the trade war to the most recent military show in the contested South China Sea — have brought Beijing closer to Moscow. Russia’s relationship with the US also continues to face some hurdles such as Washington’s accusation that Russia meddled in the 2016 election and the U.S. departure from the Cold War arms treaty, the Ukraine issue and more.

In the Cold War, China and Russia — former rivals to the then-communist power in the Eastern bloc—have forged a partnership in some sectors such as energy and infrastructure. Both signed an economic agreement worth $20 billion USD in numerous industries, such as technology and energy in June of 2019.

In March 2020, Russia’s crude oil exports to China jumped 31 percent, while China’s oil import from Saudi Arabia dropped 1.6 percent compared to the same period last year.

Russia also maintains a good relationship with India, spanning over seven decades. The latter’s prime minister Narendra Modi hailed the India-Russia ties as special during his visit to Vladivostok during the East Economic Forum in September last year.

Trade between India and Russia reached $11 billion USD in 2018. Russia has supplied more than 65 percent of India’s defense equipment for the past ten years, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) data revealed

Who is Russia Siding With?

The tension with China at the LAC prompted India to order Russian missiles and bombs. Russia’s S-400 will be expected to arrive by the end of 2021.

Such a situation triggers the next question: Will Russia defend India instead of China? The answer is not that simple, even though Russia and China are competing to be a global superpower despite their good relationship.

Russia will unlikely interfere in the India-China stand-off as Moscow is optimistic that New Delhi and Beijing can settle the dispute without outside help.

During the trilateral meeting of the Russia-India-China (RIC) at the foreign ministerial level through a video conference held after a clash in Ladakh, Russia refused to touch the border issue involving both Asian nations.

“The agenda does not involve discussing issues that relate to bilateral relations of a country with another member of this format,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated ahead of the meeting.

The Bottom Line: India Cannot Rely on Russia

Russia may be the main exporter of India’s military equipment. However, that does not mean that India can heavily rely on Russia given that Russia does not want to sacrifice ties with China and has lifted arms embargo to Pakistan, which has been in dispute with India over the Kashmir issue.

“Even from a national security perspective, it does not make sense for India to acquire Russia’s defense equipment anymore,” Rajagopalan from Observer Research Foundation told South China Morning Post (SCMP).

Despite maintaining good ties with India and China, Russia does not always share common ground with them on specific issues. For example, Russia takes a neutral stance over China’s claim over the contested South China Sea and has asked the Kashmir dispute to be resolved based on the UN charter. China also rejects Russia’s claim over Crimea.

Taking sides with one of the conflicting nations will ruin Russia’s relations with both countries. Therefore, staying out of the conflict is their natural preference.

L'articolo Will Russia Take Sides on the India-China Border Dispute? proviene da InsideOver.

Nine Russian military planes landed in Italy on March 22 in an aid operation to the coronavirus pandemic in Italy.

From Russia With Love

“From Russia with Love” — as coined by Moscow —the Ilyushin Il-76 transport planes carried medics, medical supplies and equipment for diagnostics and disinfection as well as healthcare specialists in infectious diseases from Russia.

Italians Are Not Satisfied by the EU’s Coronavirus Response

A recent poll by Monitor Italia concluded that 88% of Italians think that the European Union has not done enough to assist their country. The same poll revealed that 67% of Italians now believe Italy’s membership with the EU to be a disadvantage — a major rise from 47% in November.

As of March 25, Italy has more than 75,000 cases of coronavirus, nearly as much as China’s 82,000 cases. The country has suffered more than 7,500 deaths, resulting in a fatality rate of 10%, more than double the global 4.5% fatality rate. Over half of the world’s coronavirus death toll has occurred in Italy and Spain, as their death tolls top the global rates.

Italy’s Chief of Defense Thanks Russia

“I would like to express my gratitude on behalf of the entire Italian people for Russian assistance at such a difficult moment,” Italy’s Chief of the Defense Staff, General Enzo Vecciarelli, who personally received the emergency aid said.

In Italy, hospital and medical staff are unable to meet up with patients’ medical needs. France and Germany initially refused to send face masks and other medical equipment to Italy, explaining that these supplies were needed in their countries. Although both countries later lifted these restrictions, with Paris sending Italy 1 million masks and 200,000 gowns, the EU, however, was unable to successfully communicate its u-turn.

“On the issue of solidarity, we had a narrative weakness,” an Elysee adviser told reporters. “Europe hasn’t, as a group, communicated enough on the concrete efforts it was making at the local or regional level towards one another. Germany has sent masks to Italy, France has sent masks to Italy, as many as China has so far.”

Germany is Also Helping Italy Cope With Its Crisis

On March 24, German hospitals with spare beds accepted their first Italian patients,” the adviser to President Emmanuel Macron continued. “A lot has been done, so we need to get out of this Europe-bashing, because that’s not right.

“Mistakes were made for sure, there was some flip-flopping, hesitations, but that’s the case everywhere in the world. When we see what’s going on in the United States today, Europe is not the continent that’s the least organised.”

With EU integration and cohesion currently dishevelled, Russia, Cuba and China have been accused of taking advantage to further their political aims. On March 23, the Kremlin denied that its aid was a plot to manipulate Rome to help lift EU sanctions on Moscow, sanctions imposed in 2014 after Russia annexed Crimea.

“We’re not talking about any conditions or calculations or hopes here,” Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov explained. “Italy is really in need of much more wide scale help and what Russia does is manageable,” he said.

“This is all about perception,” said Nathalie Tocci, director of the Italian Institute of International Affairs in Rome. “This medical help from Russia is nothing compared to the 750 billion euros of assets the ECB is going to buy. But it’s very hard to convey the importance of that to the public.”

Anti-Pandemic Efforts Double as Soft Power Moves

On March 22, more than 50 Cuban doctors and paramedics arrived in Milan to help a coronavirus-hit Italy. Today, the Cuban Medical Brigade is present in a total of 59 countries worldwide. Like Russia, the Latin American island has been accused of using its anti-pandemic efforts as a tool for lifting decades-long US sanctions against it.

One Cuban official described US sanctions as “the main obstacle not only to respond to major health crises like COVID-19, but the main obstacle to the country’s development at any area.”

“The lifting of the blockade against Cuba would have an extraordinarily positive impact on Cuba and mostly in the health sector, which has been one of the most damaged areas since the establishment of the blockade almost 60 years ago with more than 3 billion in economic losses,” the official added.

China, on the other hand, has not been subtle with using the pandemic to strengthen diplomatic and financial relations with Italy. President Xi Jinping, in a March-telephone call with Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, reiterated that China wants to build a “Health Silk Road” to fight Italy’s pandemic-battle. Defying EU and American allies, Italy was the first G7 nation to endorse China’s $900 billion “One Belt One Road” New Silk Road project last year. At the signing ceremony with President Jinping, Prime Minister Giuseppe said that the agreement would “build a better relationship” between China and Italy.

Time to Work Together for the Greater Good

As leaders used the pandemic to forge diplomatic relations, the global, financial, health and humanitarian costs of Covid-19 grow increasingly higher, ensuring there would be no nations to lead if political chess games are not put aside for the greater good. A true measure of anti-pandemic global unity can be seen with Cuba, whose efforts in global healthcare has been proven in its decades-long consistence for promoting global and almost-free healthcare.

The mental strain the virus has wrought on Italy’s national identity cannot be left to be soothed by countries who stand to gain huge financial and political rewards at the dismemberment of the European Union. The EU must begin to effectively communicate its extensive assistance to Italy. At the same time, the Italian people must not give in to propaganda targeted against their own best interests.

L'articolo Anti-EU Sentiments Up in Italy as Russia and China Offer Coronavirus Aid proviene da InsideOver.

After the United States prevented Congress from completing the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline and slapped sanctions on it in mid-December, Russia stepped in. Moscow has now vowed to unilaterally complete the project by 2020, utilizing a Russian pipe-laying ship. Ukraine, like most other Eastern European countries, has criticized the project and also warned Germany of Russia’s expansion of power and further dependence on Moscow.

US Sanctions Have Temporarily Derailed North Stream 2

Nonetheless, Russia’s energy minister Alexander Novak said last Friday that he expects the project to be completed in late 2020 despite the temporary halt to construction. Originally, Nord Stream 2 was scheduled for completion in early 2020, with commissioning expected to start a few months later. Around 80 percent of Nord Stream 2 has already been completed. So far, Russian leadership had only spoken of a delay of a few months.

US sanctions had stopped the project when they caused the contracted Swiss company Allseas to pull its ships out of the project. Allseas was unwilling to be punished by the US for its involvement. Unfortunately, particular and specially-designed ships are required to lay the tubes on the bottom of the Baltic Sea, which left the project in temporary shambles.

Russia Promises To Lay Pipe Along The Last 99 Miles Of North Stream 2

However, the Russian ship Akademik Tschersky will now lay the pipes over the last 99 miles (159 km), once it has made its way back from the Far East, where it has been operating and once the needed additional equipment to work in the Baltic Sea has been brought on board. Akademik Tschersky is operated by a subsidiary of Russia’s state energy company Gazprom. A few days ago, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said that despite US sanctions Russia had “certain capacities” to complete the natural gas pipeline “in the foreseeable future,” despite the de facto shutdown via the US Congress.

The US sanctions target companies involved in laying the pipeline and their owners. Penalties include entry bans and freezing of assets in the United States. Germany criticized the US sanctions as “serious interference” in internal affairs. Washington, on the other hand, argues that the project led by the Gazprom group increases Russia’s economic and security influence in Europe to a dangerous level.

Ukraine also warned Germany and France of dependence on Russia in the dispute over the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko stated that Germany’s intention to become more independent through Nord Stream 2 had no effect, as the gas would ultimately “still come from Russia.” Besides, the Baltic Sea pipelines would be empty immediately if Russia was no longer inclined to deliver gas, Prystaiko—who also pointed out that Ukraine always has gas and would also be willing to deliver this via Ukranian pipelines—argued.

Washington And Berlin Divided Over NorthStream 2

Nord Stream 2 has been causing controversy between Washington and Berlin for quite some time. The pipeline has already cost almost ten billion euros and was initially supposed to pump gas to Europe by the end of this year. In the future, Nord Stream 2—like Nord Stream 1—will deliver gas directly from Russia to Germany. So far, Russia has used Ukraine as the leading transit country. Currently, Kyiv and Moscow are working on a new agreement for future gas transit to supply Europe, despite the ongoing war in eastern Ukraine and Russia’s role in the conflict.

However, it is also likely that less Russian gas will be transported through Ukraine in the future. Nord Stream 2 is designed for a capacity of 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year. Around 2,300 kilometers of the line with two strands have already been laid.

Meanwhile, Germany has put itself in a rather dubious position right the middle between Russia and the United States. President Trump has long claimed that Germany was uber-dependent on Russia, something the US cannot and will not accept. Congresses’ sanctions are simply the next stage of this conflict in which Germany will eventually need to decide whether Russian gas is worth jeopardizing their bilateral relationship with Washington.

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