India was relaxed about China because of Russia's assurance; was Moscow fooled?: Dr Swamy

The tensions regarding the India-China border between New Delhi and Beijing have increased to unprecedented heights after the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers during a “violent face-off” with Chinese troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) last month. China also suffered massive casualties with reports suggesting more than 40 soldiers of the PLA were killed in the Galwan Valley clash and more than 100 were injured. However, Beijing has not revealed the numbers till date.

In April-May this year, the Chinese started patrolling more aggressively around the area and started piling up troops near the Pangong lake after which a military impasse ensued till the Galwan clash. BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy on Monday claimed that the Indian government was relaxed about the Chinese Army's actions in April-May because the Russian Government assured India that China will do nothing.

'Were the Russians fooled by Chinese?'

Taking to Twitter, Dr Swamy said, "Massing of PLA troops was for routine annual exercise," the Russians told us. Were the Russians fooled by Chinese?"

Dr Swamy's remarks come at a time when Russia, considered to be an ally of China but one that is known to remain wary, has announced the suspension of S-400 surface-to-air missile systems to Beijing and said the resumption of further deliveries is yet to be ascertained.

Another setback for China

Citing Chinese newspaper Sohu, UAWire reported, “This time, Russia announced the postponement of the delivery of missiles for the Chinese S-400 system. To a certain extent, we can say that it is for the sake of China. Getting a gun is not as easy as signing an invoice after receiving a weapon.”

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“They say that the work on delivering these weapons is quite complicated. While China has to send personnel for training, Russia also needs to send a lot of technical personnel to put the weapons into service,” Sohu said.

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Post-Russia’s announcement, China has reportedly said that Moscow was forced to make such a decision as it “is worried that the delivery of S-400 missiles at this time will affect the anti-pandemic actions of the People’s Liberation Army and does not want to cause trouble to China.”

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Russia’s suspension of S-400 missiles to China comes after Moscow had earlier accused Beijing of spying, despite the two countries enjoying good relations over the years, ANI reported. Russian authorities have found Valery Mitko, president of its St Petersburg Arctic Social Sciences Academy, guilty of handing over ‘classified materials to the Chinese intelligence,’ TASS reported.

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(With ANI inputs)