- News reports alleged that India-Russia relations had strained due to India’s participation in the QUAD, resulting in the annual bilateral summit not being held.
- Congress leader and MP Rahul Gandhi used the Print article to pin the blame on the Indian government.
- Nikolay Kudashev, Russia’s Ambassador to India has said that they are far from reality. He said that the summit was postponed due to epidemiological reasons and new dates will be worked out.
- India’s MEA responded to the allegations and said the Annual Summit did not take place in 2020 because of the COVID pandemic and was a mutually agreed decision.
- MEA said that spreading false stories on important relationships is particularly irresponsible
A news report in The Print had cast aspersions over the delay in the annual India-Russia meet alleging that the meet was not held for the first time in two decades as Russia was not happy with India joining the QUAD and tilting towards the US.
“For the first time in the last two decades, India and Russia have not held their annual summit. This comes after Moscow expressed severe reservations on New Delhi joining the Indo-Pacific initiative and Quad, thereby tilting more towards the US”, said the Print article. Quoting ‘diplomatic sources’ the Print article alleged that tensions have begun to simmer in the bilateral ties over Russia’s rhetoric against India’s increasing alignment with the US.
Again without naming the official, the article quoted ‘an Indian official’ who reportedly said “There is indeed some discontent over Russia’s repeated comments on India and casting aspersions over New Delhi’s decision to join the Quad”.
Congress leader and MP Rahul Gandhi used the Print article to pin the blame on the Indian government. “Russia is a very important friend of India. Damaging our traditional relationships is short-sighted and dangerous for our future”, he tweeted without elaborating what ‘Damaging our traditional relationships’ meant.
Brushing aside all such allegations, Nikolay Kudashev, Russia’s Ambassador to India has said that they are far from reality. “Noted the article “India-Russia annual summit postponed for 1st time in two decades amid Moscow’s unease with Quad” in the Print”, he tweeted.
Highlighting the special relationship between the two countries, he further wrote, “Find it to be far from reality (allegation in The Print). Special and privileged strategic partnership between Russia and India is progressing well despite the #COVID19”.
On the delay of the annual summit, he said that it was a mutual decision due to the pandemic and that it will be held in the near future. “Staying in close touch with our Indian friends to work out new dates for the summit, postponed due to epidemiological reasons. We are confident that it will be held in near future, while the Russian-Indian relations will continue its further development”, he wrote debunking allegations that the summit was not held due to Russia displeasure at India’s participation in the QUAD.
On Dec 21, the Russia Ambassador had tweeted a message of friendship on the 10th anniversary of elevating the India-Russia strategic partnership to the special & privileged status.
“False stories on important relationships is irresponsible” India’s MEA
Responding to the allegations of strain in the relationship of the two countries, India’s Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement stating that the summit did not take place due to the COVID19 pandemic and it was a mutually agreed decision.
“The India-Russia Annual Summit did not take place in 2020 because of the COVID pandemic. This was a mutually agreed decision between the two Governments. Any imputation otherwise is false and misleading. Spreading false stories on important relationships is particularly irresponsible”, read the statement released by the Official Spokesperson of MEA Anurag Srivastava.
Dr. Niranjan B Poojar 
Bhagyashree Gupta 
Balaji Subramanian