'Soon India must choose a side': Ex-British Navy officer says Russia ties risk West’s trust

India is “financing Putin’s atrocities” and behaving more like a “geopolitical enemy” than a partner, claims a former British Royal Navy officer in a column for The Telegraph, sparking fresh questions about how the West views New Delhi’s foreign policy choices.

Tom Sharpe, who commanded four warships over 27 years in the Royal Navy, made the charge in the context of India’s military ties with Moscow and surging Russian oil imports. 

As India commissioned INS Tamal—a stealth frigate built in Russia and armed with the Indo-Russian BrahMos missile—Sharpe argued that India’s continued reliance on Russian hardware sends troubling signals.

About 20% of India’s fleet, half of its submarines, and key air defense systems like the S-400 are of Russian origin, many from legacy deals. 

But Sharpe questioned their utility, recalling a 2012 joint exercise behind INS Teg, Tamal’s sister ship. “She was unable to maintain six knots… black smoke poured from her funnels,” he wrote. “An anti-submarine frigate that cannot move slowly and quietly is not a great deal of use.”

His deeper concern lies in India’s rising imports of discounted Russian crude, often shipped through so-called “dark fleet” tankers using obfuscated tracking and alternative insurance schemes. 

These workarounds, he argues, help Russia skirt sanctions.

“India’s neighbours get the same message—it’s India first and the rest of you be damned,” he wrote, citing a conversation with a former senior official.

Sharpe stops short of accusing India of bad faith, but insists its actions carry consequences. “Soon India is going to have to choose a side,” he concludes, “or we’re going to have to treat them the way they’re basically treating us: as an enemy.”