When Russian President Vladimir Putin touched down in New Delhi on Monday, it was only his second overseas trip since the pandemic began. Putin was in India to renew the “ special privileged strategic partnership ” between the two countries, a relationship that dates back to the Cold War. During his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi , Putin described India as “a great power, a friendly nation and a time-tested friend”. For his part, Modi called ties with Moscow, India’s largest weapons supplier, “truly a unique and reliable model”. A joint statement issued after their talks confirmed their intention...