It seems that Ranil handles international relations by planting news in the media. The latest news from last week was Russia’s proposal to set up a nuclear power plant in Sri Lanka. The media had also planted news that Ranil is hoping to seek India’s consent regarding this proposal.
Ranil dragged India into this Russian proposal in a situation where the country’s policy, which was adopted in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the resentment of other western nations led by the US. Indian policy towards Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was met with displeasure at the most recent G-20 summit from the US and other western countries. In such a situation, presenting Russia’s proposal to India to set up a nuclear power plant is putting India in an unnecessary problem. If India agrees to this proposal, it is possible that Western countries including America will express their displeasure.
No sooner Ranil became the President of Sri Lanka, despite the United States thought that Sri Lanka would vote in favour of the resolution presented to the United Nations against Russia but when the resolution was presented Sri Lanka abstained from voting. Sri Lanka followed the Indian position there. Nevertheless, whether India approves of the proposed Russian power plant or not, China will like it. Ranil is aware that if India agrees to this, it will negatively affect relations between India and the US and the West.
However, Sri Lanka has now become a victim of world geopolitical games. The danger of that was clearly evident when debt restructuring negotiations surfaced with IMF extended fund facility talks. Sri Lanka became a victim of this geopolitics after Mahinda Rajapaksa’s rule in 2005. When Mahinda connected Sri Lanka to China’s Belt and Road initiative, the Indo-China Cold War started in Sri Lanka.
Later, America also intervened in it. In the midst of this cold war, if Russia starts building nuclear power plants for Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka will be involved in another international tug-of-war. Russia is also a country that contributed to creating the ethnic war in Sri Lanka. It was Russia that manipulated India against the pro-American policy of J.R.’s government at that time. The involvement of Russia in the Sri Lanka centred international geopolitical gamble would make it even worse.