Will India warm to Russia’s bid to revive troika with China?

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 1 min read 100% complete by Maria SiowJanuary 31, 2026 at 09:00 AM

AI Summary

short article 1 min

Russia has proposed reviving the Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral format to foster a multipolar world, citing strong bilateral ties with both countries. The RIC was initially proposed in 1998 but has faced geopolitical and strategic obstacles, particularly due to Sino-Indian border tensions. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasized the importance of the RIC as a foundation for BRICS and a key element in a multipolar world. However, India is unlikely to embrace the revival enthusiastically due to ongoing border disputes with China and a reluctance to be perceived as part of an anti-Western bloc. Despite Russia's push, the future of the RIC remains uncertain due to these existing challenges.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

West 40% Yevgeny Primakov 50% Beijing ×260% Moscow ×260% New Delhi 70% Brics ×270% Sergey Lavrov ×380% China ×580% Russia-India-China (RIC) ×385% Russia ×790% India ×690%

Keywords

russia-india-china (ric) 100% multipolarity 80% sino-indian border tensions 70% geopolitical tensions 70% brics 60% anti-west 60% strategic partnership 50% russian diplomacy 40%