By Bhabani Shankar Nayak

As the global power balance continues to shift with imperialist dominance over people and their resources, there is an urgent need for a countervailing force to end unilateralism and uphold peace and ensure social, political, and economic justice, as well as to democratise global politics and the economy. In this context, the revival of trilateral Eurasian cooperation between Russia, India, and China (RIC) represents a significant strategic development. The survival, effectiveness, and broader global influence of this alliance—beyond regional concerns and security architectures—will depend on the creation of a common ideological foundation that aspires not only to serve the region but also to become a force for global good.

The idea of the Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral was first proposed by Ukrainian born Russian Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov in 1998 as a “counterbalance” to Western hegemony. This concept was institutionalised in 2002 with the formal establishment of RIC. Despite various achievements over the past two decades—particularly in the realm of track-two diplomacy—RIC has not made significant progress in developing a coherent ideological framework to guide its mission, vision, and practical actions.

In 2016, during the 14th RIC Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Moscow, the group, for the first time, articulated a shared objective in terms of “the development of an open, inclusive, indivisible, and transparent security and cooperation architecture in the region, grounded in universally recognised principles of international law”. However, realising this cooperative and security-oriented ideal requires resolving longstanding regional and global differences among Russia, India, and China—particularly concerning territorial disputes, trade imbalances, and opposition to terrorism. The development of a meaningful consensus among these three nations hinges on establishing an ideological core rooted in the pursuit of regional and global peace and prosperity that extends beyond narrow territorial interests.

The first priority for RIC needs to resolve all territorial disputes and other conflicts among its member countries through diplomacy and dialogue. The group must jointly declare that no war will occur between RIC nations and that none will act against the national interests of the others. This goal can be achieved by promoting an environment of cooperation and open communication to eliminate trust deficits.

RIC needs to adopt the politics of decolonisation and position itself as an anti-imperialist platform dedicated to promoting regional and global peace and shared prosperity. Such a stance would enable it to broaden international cooperation, especially with countries and peoples across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. RIC must actively engage in multilateral forums such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and BRICS to help democratise global politics and the world economy, countering capitalist hegemony and imperialist unilateralism.

RIC must revive the ethos, spirit, and framework of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in order to democratise, decolonise, and decarbonise global politics and the world economy. Above all, RIC must uphold the interests of people, peace, and the planet beyond narrow territorial considerations, and it should be committed to advancing the well-being of the global working class.

RIC must work toward establishing a common market and trade mechanisms that unite free producers and free consumers without artificial barriers, aiming to create a truly free and fair market—one that transcends the capitalist logic of profit over people. Such a strategy has the potential to reshape the global economy by promoting conditions of shared prosperity and building equitable distribution systems for the common good. In addition, RIC should develop alternative banking, financial transaction, and monetary systems for global economic interactions that are insulated from the threats of sanctions, trade embargoes, and retaliatory tariffs. These mechanisms would enhance economic sovereignty and resilience, enabling member countries and their partners to engage in international commerce on more equitable and secure terms.

RIC countries must establish strategic security cooperation and sustained dialogue to uphold regional and global peace, while collectively challenging the warmongering and hegemonic agendas of American and European corporate-military interests. A potential RIC military alliance should not be viewed solely as a self-defence mechanism, but as a principled coalition committed to resisting all forms of imperialist intervention and aggression.

RIC must promote conditions that nurture indigenous, diverse, democratic and alternative knowledge traditions that empower people through the politics of secular multiculturalism and promote a deepening of distributive democracy which ensures social and economic justice for people across the globe. The promotion of peace, an unconditional commitment to shared prosperity, and the uncompromising practice of human rights, inclusive citizenship and distributive democracy can serve as the five foundational pillars of RIC. These principles can help establish lasting regional stability and make a meaningful contribution to global peace. Let RIC celebrate the idealisms of internationalism to protect people and planet and promote peace.

Bhabani Shankar Nayak works as Professor of Business Management, Guildhall School of Business and Law, London Metropolitan University, UK.

Eurasia Review