Russian Roulette

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee was a little bemused when in Moscow recently. Strangely, Russia was fairly indifferent to the Indian minister’s visit, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov finding no time for him. Apparently Mukherjee was paying for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh entering into the nuclear deal with the US. This was ironical, given that Lavrov could not make time to meet his Indian counterpart because he was playing host to none other than US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. And while the Russians may be circumspect about Manmohan’s deal, the only head of state to call and greet the PM on his birthday on September 26 was Vladimir Putin. Russia had also egged India on the deal and, in anticipation of its fruition, even supplied fuel for Tarapur. Now we hear that the Russian National Security Advisor is on his way to Delhi in the first week of November.