The Moscow-Beijing-Delhi ‘Strategic Triangle’: An Idea Whose Time May Never Come

The unparalleled position of the United States in the international political system has given rise to an attempt in recent times by Russia, China, and India to forge trilateral cooperation into what has been termed as a ‘strategic triangle’. This article argues that the possibility of the emergence of such a ‘strategic triangle’ remains quite low given the present structure of international politics, where the USA has more comprehensive ties with Russia, China, and India than any two of them have between themselves. Moreover, though bilateral ties among the three states in question have improved in recent years, much more effort is required to bring them to the footing of a meaningful strategic relationship. Not only are Russia, China, and India too weak to balance US power in any significant measure, but the allure of US power remains too strong for them to resist.