Vladimir Putin’s visit to India is in the news. The Indian prime minister Narendra Modi has received the Russian president with open arms. So far, the two countries have signed a series of major energy agreements. Russia will supply India with ten-million tons of oil per year. Also, Russia will help India build at least ten more nuclear reactors. On top of this, Russia will remain India’s top defense supplier. One of several defense deals is a plan by Russia to manufacture its most advanced military helicopter in India. And so forth. Although it is obvious that Putin is showing off with yet another victory in Asia, it is also clear that both Europe and America are being sidelined in one of the major geopolitical shifts of our era. China and India account for some three-billion out of seven-billion people on the globe, and Russia is well ahead of both America and Europe in making long-term agreements spanning trade and defense with the two countries. Only a few months into their effect, the sanctions against Russia look nigh ridiculous against this background. In the long run, chances are that the sanctions will affect only Europe. To add insult to injury, there is hardly anyone left in Europe to contemplate the emerging world map, let alone to make an effort to change it. Sheer history.