A new piece of legislation in the US, essentially aimed at imposing crippling sanctions on Russia, but one that, by extension, also seriously affects India, has sparked off a debate among policy-makers in New Delhi. Interestingly, this comes at a time when a recent Indian abstention on a crucial Russian resolution at The Hague has been interpreted as New Delhi’s attempt at maintaining a safe distance from Moscow, to ensure minimum disruption in its current, close engagement with Washington and its Western allies.