India, June 13 -- When Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recently called for the revival of the Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral dialogue, it echoed a familiar, if somewhat outdated, diplomatic refrain. Labeling RIC as an "independent mechanism," Lavrov argued that the moment is ripe for its reinvigoration - especially given the reported easing of India-China border tensions. On the surface, it sounded like a classic Eurasian initiative: three major powers coming together to balance global influence and reinforce multipolarity. But in substance, the call appears more symbolic than strategic, driven less by genuine trust and more by Moscow's shifting compulsions.
Originally conceptualised in the late 1990s, RIC was born out of a com...