On October 1, when India abstained from voting at the United Nations Security Council on a draft resolution against Russia for conducting referendums and annexing four regions of Ukraine, it was a reminder of New Delhi’s precarious tightrope walk on ties with Moscow. In the backdrop of the war in Ukraine and in the face of Western sanctions against Russia, India has continued to carry on oil and defence trade with Russia, even as it remains committed to deepening its relations with the West, including the U.S. In a discussion moderated by Kallol Bhattacharjee, Anuradha Chenoy and Ashok Kantha discuss India’s choices and actions in a changing geopolitical landscape, especially with regard to China. Edited excerpts