Putin Ready To Use Tough Measures To Rein in India from Its Pro-U.S. Tilt

Both China and Russia have become more and more irritated by the way India’s Narendra Modi government has been succumbing to U.S. pressure. At July’s Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit which India was hosting as the rotating chair, Modi was not prepared to organize the traditional SCO leaders’ group photo. India had also proposed that English be made a third SCO language, in addition to the present policy of having Chinese and Russian as the official languages, which also caused some irritation. Russia has also been irritated by the fact that India was paying for its Russian oil with rupees, which Russia cannot use because of the restrictions imposed on it by the Western sanctions. Putin is now demanding that India pay for the oil with Chinese yuan, which Moscow can use for purchases from China. If India doesn’t do this, Putin warned that he is prepared to cut off the oil supply.