‘All bets are off’ has been one of the most frequently used clichés to describe a situation in diplomacy for centuries. As Russian President Vladimir Putin begins his crowded official engagements on December 5 in New Delhi, this cliché rings truer than during any of the previous 22 annual summits between India and Russia.

Putin’s previous visits to India have been predictable — from the ‘Declaration on the India-Russia Strategic Partnership’ in 2000 and its elevation to ‘Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership’ 10 years later. These were known in advance.

The unpredictability around the 23rd India-Russia annual summit was such that most ambassadors in the capital’s diplomatic enclave of Chanakyapuri sent out secret cables to their headquarters last month that Putin would arrive in N

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