Asia and the West
There is a divide between Asia and the West. As political tensions rise due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, two Asian superpowers remain silent.
Both China and India have hesitated to express explicit condemnation of Russia’s savage invasion. They also both have refrained from voting on UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions urging that Moscow cease its war on Ukraine immediately.
The US made it plain that countries that do not criticize Putin’s war are linked with Russia. The world’s two most populous countries are under greater international pressure to speak out. Or they could face being labeled complicit.
The fact that neither nation has decided to do so highlights Russia’s disproportionate power in Asia. The arms sales and no-strings-attached commerce have allowed Moscow to show Asia’s weakening connections with the West.
China
China has so far refrained to denounce the Russian strike or refer to it as an “invasion,” instead of stating that it recognizes Moscow’s “legitimate security concerns.” Russia’s talking lines on Ukraine have also been parroted by China’s official media. Guo Shuqing, head of the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, stated on Wednesday that China will not cooperate in sanctions.
India
So far, India has tried to play both sides — Modi has spoken with both Zelensky and Putin, and has pledged humanitarian aid for Ukraine. Modi hasn’t explicitly condemned Russia’s attacks — he’s called for “an immediate cessation of violence” and “concerted efforts from all sides” to negotiate, according to a read-out of his February 24 call with Putin.
Russia and India have a long history of friendly relations, which stretch back to the Soviet era when the USSR helped India win its 1971 war with Pakistan. There’s also the relationship between Putin and Modi, who was one of only two world leaders Putin traveled to see last year, for a visit to New Delhi in December.