The slip-up India is making and Pakistan is fixing.

Pakistan and Russia haven't been very close whereas India and Russia had strategic ties for over 50 years.

Pakistan preferred to be with US. It was natural as India turned to Soviet Union.

A thread.

US have been impacting Pakistan being thousands of miles away. The territorial influence US missed was discovered in face of Pakistan.

Pakistan beat Soviet Union in Afghanistan. Russia doesn't forget but Russian policies have been lean in past few decades. They have started seeing their interest more than their national integrity.

It is said, "mutual interests not friendships". In 2014, Russian Defence Minister visited Pakistan after 45 years and signed a defence deal. Pakistan also claimed to be negotiating Su-35s fighter jets.

Someone in Islamabad foresaw the US-Pak relation going winding down and made efforts to mend ways with Russia. Two years later, first ever joint military exercise "Friendship" took place. Russia started participating in Pak Naval exercises.

The SCO meet in Bishek turned out to be very positive as it seemed Pak PM Mr. Imran Khan was on specific deal to make effort to loosen tight knots in relation with Russia. The images spoke for themselves.

Pakistan on behalf of US put forth attempt to facilitate Afghan Peace Deal. Russia too wants a piece of pie, they have been wanting it for long and that is why they went public with their support for inclusion of Taliban in Afghan Interim Gov.

Pakistan being "South Asian Gatekeeper" as described by Russian Institute for Strategic Studies for her geography to being a gateway between Central and South Asia, something that is in line with geopolitical aspirations of Russia under Eurasian Economic Union.

On the other hand, Russia is also mindful of increasing US influence on India. Being largest defence equipment exporter to India, an approval of Boeing F-15x Fighter Jets raised quite an eye brows for Russia.

A slow process nevertheless, but India is on path to make a mistake that Pakistan is trying to fix.

Over the next few years, Pakistan being China's "all weather ally" and Russian EAEU aspirations, Pakistan will become a nexus of trade, aspirations that recently Pakistan's Powerful Army Chief defines as "Geoeconomic".

For India, having an ally miles away, the kind who is also loosing in Afghanistan; and loosing regional infleunce as well, this may not turn out well. In spite of the fact that there have been endeavors to isolate Pakistan by India, it doesn't looks like it is happening.

In Russian, there's an idiom "Дружба дружбой, а табачок" "to keep tobacco apart in friendships". I am certain Pakistan will have a lot to learn from rollercoaster relationship with US and would be careful going forward with "new friendships".