Modi-Putin Embrace: India Tells West to Back Off

• Modi's embrace of Putin signaled India's strategic autonomy, telling the West to respect its independent foreign policy.
• The West misinterpreted India's actions, wrongly assuming alignment with Russia-China or embracing a "war criminal."
• India views its relationship with Russia as stable and time-tested, resisting Western attempts to disrupt it.
• The visit balanced public focus on trade with ongoing quiet strategic cooperation, including defense deals.
• India asserts its role as a sovereign pole in a multipolar world, refusing to be coerced into picking sides.

Why It Matters: This shows India's firm stance on sovereign foreign policy, rejecting Western pressure.