Indiens faustischer Pakt mit Russland wird stärker

SS: India’s intensifying embrace of Russia, as outlined by *The Economist*, is a high-stakes pact with a partner that offers both lifelines and liabilities. Like a moth drawn to a flickering flame, India has struck $17 billion in deals—a $13 billion oil supply pact with Rosneft and a $4 billion radar system purchase—securing energy and defense assets while risking entanglement in Russia’s shadow. This move reflects India’s “multi-aligned” dance, leveraging Moscow’s weapons and oil to offset China’s rise and Western ambivalence. Yet, the partnership teeters on a knife’s edge: tightened U.S. sanctions, faltering Russian arms reliability, and the looming specter of Vladimir Putin’s visit risk tarnishing India’s neutralist posture. As New Delhi navigates this perilous terrain, it must reckon with the fragility of tethering its ambitions to a waning power beset by economic decay and geopolitical unpredictability—a Faustian bargain whose cost may outlast its immediate gains.