When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the world turned against Vladimir Putin. Leaders lined up to condemn Moscow. Sanctions piled up. And public opinion soured. In 24 countries surveyed by Pew Research, spanning Europe, the Asia-Pacific, Africa, and Latin America, an average of 82 percent of people had an unfavorable view of Russia. 

There was just one outlier: India, where 57 percent viewed Russia favorably – a record high. A majority of Indians said they trusted Putin to “do the right thing” in world affairs. India was the only country surveyed where that was true.

When the invasion began, the hashtags “I Stand With Russia” and “I Stand With Putin” went viral in India. One study found that 40 percent of all pro-Russia posts on Twitter globally came from Indian users. Many of those posts didn’t just support Russia – they attacked the countries criticizing Russia, most notably America.

But here’s the strange part: Indians don’t actually want to live in Russia. They want to live in America. Five million Indians have moved to the United States to study and work. There’s no equivalent “Russian dream.” Indians go to Russia because they’re desperate. They go to America because they’re ambitious.

And that same Pew survey found that India was the only country that simultaneously held positive views of both Russia and the United States. So why, when crisis hits, does India turn to Moscow instead of Washington?

Last month, Donald Trump shared a post calling India a “hellhole.” It was only the latest in a long pattern of American leaders belittling India, a pattern that stretches back to Richard Nixon.

For many Indians, Russia has never treated them that way. Moscow has been a quiet, respectful partner for eight decades. When India needed weapons, Russia delivered. When India launched its first satellite, it was aboard a Soviet rocket. When Pakistan pressured India over Kashmir, Russia backed New Delhi.

That history matters. But it doesn’t tell the whole story. The world has changed since the Cold War – and today, Russia is cozying up to China, India’s biggest rival. When Chinese and Indian troops clashed at the Galwan Valley in 2020, killing 20 Indian soldiers, Moscow said nothing.

So is India’s love for Russia built on nostalgia for a relationship that no longer exists?