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The known or available figures speak for themselves. The USA was India's biggest trading partner during the period 2022-2023. For its part, Russia has become India's fourth-largest trading partner: crude-oil and fertilizers are the two main contributors to India's higher imports from Russia. It is also interesting to point out that the top trading partners of India in Europe are Germany, Switzerland, the UK and Belgium. Let us recall that India and Russia developed during the Cold War era a key cooperation particularly in the areas of defense, oil, nuclear energy, and space exploration. It must also be remembered that India and the Soviet Union signed a treaty of peace and cooperation dated 1971. More recently, we must stress that India has not really criticized Russia's invasion of Ukraine. To explain at least in part India's position, we must remember that this country has long depended on Russia to ensure its defense, particularly in the face of aggression from its Chinese neighbor. Taking note of this dependence on Russia, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to buy more military equipment from countries like the USA, France and Israel. Let us also recall that India which does not yet have a strong industrial base for the manufacture of numerous military equipment, has one of the largest armies in the world. India will therefore continue to depend , at least for the next decade, on the delivery of arms notably from Russia and the USA. Finally, let us recall that Indian leaders are rightly concerned about the rapprochement between V. Putin's Russia and Xi Jinping's China. In a context of growing tensions and conflicts in the world, we understand why India is seeking the right balance in its international relations. This objective will not be easy to achieve.

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