Russia pulls India closer with oil and weapons

Both risk deeper divides with US over Arctic project and missile defense deal

Russian anti-missile equipment: Moscow plans to deliver the S-400 system to India this year. The U.S. removed Turkey from a military jet program after Ankara bought the S-400. © Reuters

TOMOYO OGAWA, Nikkei staff writer

February 7, 2020 15:26 JST

MOSCOW -- Russia is bolstering cooperation with India in oil and defense, hoping to use its ties to the key Asian partner to its advantage in its rivalry with Washington.

Indian oil companies will join the $157 billion Vostok Oil development project in the Arctic, Russian state energy major Rosneft said Wednesday. Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin and Dharmendra Pradhan, India's petroleum minister, agreed in New Delhi to form a working team to iron out the details.