According to a report by Russia's RT on September 26, NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg revealed in an interview that Indian Prime Minister Modi immediately called Russian President Putin after Trump imposed a 50% tariff on India, expressing support for Russia.

According to Stoltenberg's account, Modi said to Putin on the phone, "I support you, but can you explain your strategy."

This "strategy" refers to Russia's Ukraine strategy. The implication is that Modi, in a fit of anger, took Russia's side on the Ukraine issue, wanting to understand Russia's specific strategy and then joining forces with Russia against Ukraine.

Stoltenberg provided such detailed information; one might mistakenly think that Modi made the call to Putin in front of him.

Regarding this, the Indian side gave a clear response, refuting Stoltenberg's claim as completely baseless, emphasizing that there was no such conversation, and demanding that NATO officials take responsibility for their public statements.

It is not surprising for Western politicians to do such things; it is a basic move. If you cannot defame or lie, you would never be appointed as NATO Secretary General.

Stoltenberg

The motive behind this operation is not complicated.

First, it is catering to the United States. Trump had previously publicly accused India of profiting from selling Russian oil and had implemented punitive measures against India. Trump's aides even said that the Ukraine conflict was "Modi's war."

At this time, Stoltenberg followed up by linking India to Russia, which is essentially supporting the American narrative. After all, Trump is his good father.

US-India friction is still at an impasse, and the dialogue between the two sides has not resolved the issue. Stoltenberg's炒作 (hype) about India aligning with Russia is, therefore, a way to pressure India, forcing it to prove its innocence. How can it prove itself? By signing an unequal agreement with the US, proving that it still belongs to the US.

It is also a pressure on India continuing to purchase Russian oil. Previously, the US pressure had never made India compromise. Now, NATO starts to put bigger labels on it, not saying that you buy Russian oil to support the war, but saying that you have directly joined Russia's war.

If you cannot disentangle yourself, in the eyes of the West, you are the second North Korea. You have placed yourself on the opposing side of the entire NATO.

Indian flag and American flag

It can be seen that behind this hype, there is a sense of superiority.

Previously, the West always praised India as "the world's largest democracy" and praised its economic growth potential. But in reality, they still retain the sense of superiority from the colonial era in their hearts.

India is viewed as a role to be arranged, rather than an equal partner.

Especially when it comes to the Ukraine issue, the West always expects India to follow orders and do the same as "democratic" countries.

Once India insists on an independent position based on its own interests, the West immediately starts to attack you, describing India as a secretive country, creating a feeling that it is secretly stealing from the West, as if it was originally part of the West and could only secretly align with Russia.

This attitude of superiority has colonial inertia and arrogance, but the underlying logic is Cold War thinking, creating a binary opposition, i.e., if India does not stand with the West, it is supporting Russia.

Putin and Modi

It is really laughable how the West does this. India is not the first to be slandered, nor will it be the last. However, being obsessed with making others choose sides may eventually lead to real side-taking, which would be counterproductive, pushing them to the opposite side.

From India's logic of resisting the US, we can see that although I cannot force you to submit like China, I will not kneel down immediately when you apply a little pressure.

Therefore, if you continue to pressure, it will not bring more possibilities of compromise, but instead, it may cause them to genuinely turn to Russia.

The result of being forced to take the opposite side will be more severe than choosing it on your own, because it involves a sense of revenge, making the one who pressured feel regret.

Especially when trying to use public opinion to coerce, if you describe India as an ally of Russia, it will be impossible for it not to help Russia.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7554603822711063082/

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