The Intelligence from The Economist Delhi-novela: Putin and Modi rekindle bromance
31 snips
Dec 4, 2025 
Kira Huyu, an Asia correspondent, dives into the revitalized ties between India and Russia, examining how U.S. policies have driven this shift. Alex Hearn sheds light on the potential pitfalls of AI, explaining reward hacking and the alarming trends of emergent misalignment in machine learning. Vishnu Papmanaban discusses the fallout from Malaysia's football naturalisation scandal, detailing FIFA's investigation into forged documents and the public outrage that followed. A blend of geopolitics, technology, and sports controversy makes for an engaging discussion!
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Trump Pushes India Back Toward Russia
- India values Russia as a reliable strategic partner that avoids lecturing on human rights and supplies most of its arms.
- Trump's 50% tariff and abrasive diplomacy pushed Modi back toward rekindling ties with Putin.
Russia's Arms Grip Is Weakening
- India still depends on Russia for large portions of its defence imports but that share has fallen from over 70% a decade ago to about 35% now.
- Moscow offers full tech transfer on systems like the Su-57 to regain relevance amid supply and quality concerns.
Oil Drove A Temporary Trade Spike
- India's crude purchases from Russia surged from ~2% pre-war to ~40% of imports, saving roughly $13bn in two years.
- Recent US and European sanctions make that energy relationship increasingly difficult to sustain.
