Russian imports | India received no weaponry from the West for decades: Jaishankar

 The Western nations chose a military dictatorship in the region as their preferred partner and did not provide weapons to New Delhi for decades, according to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on October 10, an apparent reference to Pakistan. As a result, India has a sizable stockpile of weapons of Soviet and Russian origin.

Mr. Jaishankar added that India and Russia have a long-standing partnership that has undoubtedly benefited New Delhi's interests during a news conference with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong in Canberra.

"We have a sizable stockpile of weaponry with Soviet and Russian origins. And for a number of reasons, that inventory increased. You know, the merits of the weapons systems themselves, but also because Western nations for many years refused to give weapons to India and actually saw a military dictatorship right next to us as the preferred partner, Mr. Jaishankar said, making an apparent reference to Pakistan, which was a close ally of the U.S.-led West during the Cold War.

More than half of Pakistan's 73 years of history have seen the Army Generals in power.

In international politics, we all deal with what we have and make decisions that take into account both our present circumstances and our long-term objectives. My impression is that there are lessons to be learned from this present conflict, just like there are from any military conflict, and I know my extremely skilled military colleagues will be carefully examining it, according to Mr. Jaishankar.

An Australian reporter questioned him on whether India should reconsider its relationship with Russia in light of the situation in Ukraine and lessen its reliance on Russian weaponry.

In a joint news conference with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken last month, Jaishankar stated that when India is provided weaponry, it makes a decision that it believes is in its national interest.

India has gotten a lot of its military equipment from Russia. In light of the Western sanctions against Moscow, the two nations have been discussing the kinds of payment channels that might be possible between them.

Conflict in Ukraine does not suit anyone's interests: EAM Jaishankar

Ambassador of Russia to India Denis Alipov claimed last month that despite pressure from Washington and sanctions from the U.S.-led West, Russia had managed to deliver its most sophisticated long-range surface-to-air missile defence system, the S-400, to India on schedule.

Russia's most sophisticated long-range surface-to-air missile defence system is known as the S-400. The "Triumf" interceptor-based missile system has a range of up to 400 km and can take down incoming hostile missiles, drones, and even aircraft.

The missile system has already been set up such that it can protect portions of both the border with Pakistan and the northern sector of the border with China.

Despite warnings from the then-Trump administration that moving forward with the transaction would result in CAATSA-related U.S. sanctions, India struck a $5 billion deal with Russia in October 2018 to purchase five S-400 air defence missile systems.

In response to Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its alleged interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections, the administration is allowed to impose sanctions on nations that buy significant defence equipment from Russia under the tough Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions