Why India wants the Ukraine war to end, but China does not mind it continuing
Although both India and China maintain close ties with Russia and continue buying its oil, they differ sharply on whether the war in Ukraine should end. The divergence stems less from how each views Russia and more from how they view each other.
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At first glance, India and China appear to hold nearly identical positions on the war in Ukraine. Both major Asian powers maintain close ties with the Kremlin, continue purchasing Russian oil, and have refused to join the Western campaign aimed at isolating Russia internationally.
A surface similarity, a deeper divide
Looking more closely, however, reveals a significant difference between the two countries' positions. India wants the fighting in Ukraine to end, while China has no objection to the conflict continuing.
The root of the difference
The explanation for why two countries with broadly similar economic and political ties to Russia take such different stances on the war's continuation lies not primarily in how each regards Russia itself. A more decisive factor is how India and China regard one another — their mutual relationship and geopolitical rivalry in the region shape each country's calculations about whether a prolonged war in Ukraine serves its own interests.
