Page 7 - The Indian EYE 081525

EYE ON INDIA AUGUST 08, 2025 | The Indian Eye 7

— the very issue that triggered Wash- TOWARD A COORDINATED
ington’s second wave of tariffs — as
well as accelerating pending defence RESPONSE?
deliveries, notably the S-400 air de- hile it is premature to pre-
fence system. For Moscow, strength- dict a formal BRICS re-
ening ties with India is vital as West- Wsponse to Trump’s tariffs,
ern sanctions continue to squeeze its the diplomatic choreography of the
economy; for New Delhi, Russian past week hints at a converging strate-
energy and defence supplies are inte- gy. Modi’s talks with Lula, his upcom-
gral to its strategic autonomy. ing visit to China, Doval’s discussions
Putin’s visit would follow Modi’s
trip to Russia in July 2024, when both with Putin, and the expected Putin
visit to India are all part of a dense
leaders praised their “time-tested” web of leader-level engagements that
strategic partnership. The two sides could culminate in a more united
maintain cooperation across a broad BRICS economic front.
spectrum — political, defence, nucle- If such coordination materialis-
ar energy, space, culture — and are es, it might take the form of expand-
actively exploring new avenues de- ed intra-BRICS trade agreements,
spite Western pressure.
local currency settlements to bypass
the dollar, joint infrastructure proj-
MODI’S CHINA GAMBIT Russia President Vladimir Putin meets India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Kumar Doval in ects, and coordinated positions in the

odi’s upcoming trip to China Moscow on Thursday (ANI) WTO and G20. Brazil and India’s
interest in digital payment systems,
is arguably the most striking
Mdiplomatic development in ness leaders, point to a practical fol- Navarro bluntly accused India of “ab- as shown in the PIX–UPI exchange,
also opens the door for fintech col-
this sequence. The SCO summit of- low-through. The agenda will cover ject refusal” to stop buying Russian laboration that reduces transaction
fers him a multilateral platform, but trade, defence, energy, critical miner- oil. But by singling out India and Bra- costs and dependency on Western
the bilateral subtext is clear: India and als, health, and digital inclusion — all zil while leaving other major buyers, financial systems.
China are seeking to thaw relations sectors where both countries can gain like China and Türkiye, untouched,
that have been frosty since the 2020 by pooling resources and reducing the U.S. risks fostering a perception
border clash. While major disputes dependence on Western markets. of selective punishment — and there- CONCLUSION: A PIVOTAL
remain unresolved, the prospect of by encouraging solidarity among the MONTH FOR BRICS
greater economic coordination — targeted states.
particularly in the face of shared tariff THE TRUMP DOCTRINE For BRICS, this creates a polit- he coming weeks will test
threats from Washington — is driving AND ITS RISKS ical opportunity. The bloc can pres- whether the current wave of
a cautious rapprochement. ent itself as a collective shield against TU.S. tariffs becomes a cata-
For Beijing, Modi’s visit is an rump’s tariff policy is framed in what it sees as arbitrary economic lyst for deeper BRICS integration
opportunity to signal that China re- Washington as a matter of na- measures, and as an advocate for re- or merely another irritant in already
mains central to Asia’s diplomatic Ttional security, particularly re- forming global trade rules to protect complex international relations. Mo-
architecture, even for countries that garding energy purchases from Rus- the sovereignty of emerging econo- di’s dual engagement with Russia and
have strategic differences. For India, sia. White House trade adviser Peter mies. China, Lula’s outreach to India, and
engaging China while strengthening Beijing’s criticism of U.S. trade policy
ties with Russia and Brazil broadens suggest a moment of rare alignment
its manoeuvring space at a moment in the group’s political calendars.
when its U.S. relationship is under Trump has warned that more
strain. penalties could follow if BRICS
members “align themselves with an-
THE LULA–MODI SIGNAL ti-American policies.” But the risk
for Washington is that such pressure
gainst this backdrop, the could accelerate precisely that align-
Lula–Modi conversation gains ment — knitting together a bloc of
Astrategic weight. The two lead- major economies that collectively
ers are not only the political heads represent a substantial share of glob-
of their respective nations but also al GDP, population, and natural re-
the voices of two continents with- sources.
in BRICS. Their call underscored a As the SCO summit in Tianjin ap-
shared vision for South–South coop- proaches, and with Putin’s India visit
eration that blends trade expansion on the horizon, BRICS may be on the
with technological exchange, defence verge of its most significant strategic
coordination, and multilateral reform convergence since its inception. The
— including their long-standing cam- Lula–Modi call, seemingly routine in
paign for permanent seats on the UN diplomatic terms, could, in hindsight,
Security Council. be remembered as one of the early
The agreement to expand the markers of this shift — a sign that the
Mercosur–India trade pact and the Global South’s largest democracies
plan for Vice President Geraldo The Indian prime minister is likely to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping are prepared to stand together, and
Alckmin to visit India in October, at the SCO meeting in China next month with their partners, against the tides
accompanied by ministers and busi- of unilateral economic coercion.

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