As the United States, India, and China remain locked in a power struggle over Sri Lanka, Russia has reiterated its interest in establishing a nuclear power plant in the country. The Russian Ambassador to Sri Lanka recently stated that he hopes to hold discussions with the Minister of Power regarding this proposal in the future.
Russia first presented this proposal during the previous Ranil Wickremesinghe administration. Observers suggest that Moscow may have believed it would be easier to advance its initiative under a leftist JVP government than under the pro-American Ranil government. However, JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake declined an invitation from the Russian President to attend the BRICS summit in Russia.
The historical relationship between Russia and the JVP stretches back to the party’s founder, Rohana Wijeweera. In 1960, with the assistance of a Communist Party leader, Wijeweera applied for a scholarship to study medicine at the Patrice Lumumba People’s Friendship University in Moscow, then the capital of the Soviet Union. In 1963, he fell ill and was hospitalized. Doctors in Moscow advised him that his health condition was unsuitable for academic pursuits and recommended rest.
Upon returning to Sri Lanka, Wijeweera developed hostility toward Soviet communism and instead began to advocate for the Chinese communist line within the country. His animosity toward the Soviet Union may have stemmed from its close ties with leftist parties in Sri Lanka. During the 1971 JVP insurrection, the Soviet Union supported the leftist government of Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike and continued backing them during subsequent elections.
It remains unclear whether the JVP’s cautious stance toward Russia today is linked to Wijeweera’s legacy of suspicion. Historically, the JVP’s primary rivals were the Soviet-aligned leftist parties in Sri Lanka, which may explain why the movement aligned itself more closely with China. A future JVP-led government may therefore conclude that distancing itself from Russia is preferable to risking tensions with the United States by forging closer ties with Moscow.
