By the time these lines reach you, Russia's President Putin must have concluded his two-day visit to India. Some analysts are viewing it as one of President Putin's more expensive outings for both the visitor and the host. But more of that context later. Similarly, French President Macron's three-day China visit must have concluded by then, too. At the time of writing, they have not, so one cannot definitively comment on the outcomes.

But you will notice that in today's highly charged global situation, both visits represent risky gambits. India is already paying a high price for importing oil from a highly sanctioned Russia. While Sino-US relations seem to have improved slightly following the meeting between Presidents Xi and Trump in South Korea, hawks dominate debates within think tank

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