
ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash EP-370 | India–Russia ‘Dosti’: Why is the West Rattled? | Ex-Diplomat Talmiz Ahmad Explains
Talmiz Ahmad is one of India’s most experienced diplomats, with decades of work across West Asia, the Gulf, and global strategic affairs. A former Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the UAE, he has watched world politics change from the front row.
In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Ambassador Ahmad breaks down India–Russia ties and why the West is rattled by New Delhi’s independent foreign policy. He explains the new Saudi–Pakistan defence pact, China’s growing influence in the Gulf, and what these changes mean for India.
He also discusses India’s role in the Middle East, the Israel–Gaza war, and why the era of unquestioned Western power may be ending.
00:00 – Introduction
01:04 – Takeaways from Putin’s India Visit
05:58 – India’s Strategic Autonomy
11:06 – Why the USA is Rattled
14:48 – Conflicts in the Middle East
23:45 – How the USA Broke the World Order
39:24 – Saudi–Pakistan Defence Pact
45:02 – Middle East’s View on India–Pakistan
47:13 – Saudi Arabia’s Fight Against Terror
52:09 – India’s Fight Against Terrorism
