Russia calls for revival of RIC talks amid shifting global political tensions

Moscow: Amidst the bullying and threats from US President Donald Trump, efforts to maintain a multipolar world have intensified. Now, Russia has appealed to India and China to come together. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has called for the resumption of Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral talks to ensure a multipolar world. The Russian Foreign Minister made this statement during his annual press conference, while discussing Moscow's diplomatic achievements in 2025. During this time, he also emphasized Russia's strategic partnership with India and spoke about President Vladimir Putin's visit to India last December.

Putin visited India last December for the 23rd India-Russia annual summit. During this visit, both countries made several announcements, including a five-year roadmap to build a strong economic partnership. In the press conference, Lavrov also spoke about relations between China and Russia. He said, "Moscow's relations with China are unprecedented in terms of their level, their depth, and the similarity of views on the development of the situation in Eurasia and the world as a whole."

Call to revive RIC

Lavrov called for the resumption of RIC. Lavrov said, "We need to activate the RIC trilateral format, which is, in a way, the foundation of BRICS, which is a key element of a multipolar world." BRICS initially included Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, but the group was expanded last year. It now also includes Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.

Preparing a response to Trump's bullying?

The Russian Foreign Minister's call to revive the RIC (Russia-India-China) grouping comes at a time when US President Donald Trump is continuously threatening countries and imposing tariffs. Last year, Trump imposed a 25 percent punitive tariff on India for purchasing Russian oil. This brought the total US tariff on India to 50 percent. Recently, Trump announced tariffs against his NATO allies for opposing his plan to acquire Greenland.

Trump has expressed his desire to bring Greenland under US control and said that nothing less would be acceptable. He described Greenland as crucial for US national security. President Trump also stated that if the US does not gain control of Greenland, Russia or China will seize it. However, the Russian Foreign Minister said that Moscow has no plans to acquire Greenland.