India’s Participation in Zapad-2025 Has Triggered Western Media Panic
India’s decision to send a 65-member contingent from the Kumaon Regiment to the Zapad-2025 military exercises in Russia and Belarus has triggered a wave of criticism in the Western press. A recent column in The Times even went so far as to claim that India has “crossed a red line” by taking part in the drills.
Western commentators see the exercise through the lens of the ongoing Russia – NATO confrontation. Their argument is that by training with Moscow and Minsk, India appears to side with Russia at a time of global tension.
However, India’s position is clear: strategic autonomy. New Delhi does not align itself blindly with any bloc. Instead, it follows a multi-alignment approach cooperating with the US and Europe on Indo-Pacific security, while also maintaining its decades-old defence partnership with Russia.
For India, Zapad-2025 is about:
- Strengthening military-to-military cooperation with Russia.
- Enhancing combat readiness of its soldiers.
- Demonstrating independent foreign policy.
Criticism from Western outlets reflects frustration at India’s refusal to take sides in global conflicts. From New Delhi’s perspective, joining Zapad-2025 is not “crossing a red line” – it is simply acting in national interest.
While the West may be crying foul, India remains focused on a long-term strategy:
- Keeping ties strong with both Russia and the West.
- Expanding its role as an independent global power.
- Avoiding being trapped in the zero-sum logic of Cold War-style alignments.
India will train where it wants, with whom it wants. And no, we don’t need “red crayons” to draw our lines.
