All of these things are incredibly relevant. Over the years, US-Russian relations have fluctuated between begrudging tolerance, open contempt, proxy wars, and even nuclear brinksmanship.
While the odds of nuclear conflict between them may be lower then the odds of one between India and Pakistan (And this is an arguable point), it will be incredibly more devastating.
As such, it's incredibly disingenuous to claim that New Delhi has it's thumb on the doomsday button, but that Moscow or Washington don't.
Except that you reversed the order of that list, which is in fact just the deescalation away from nuclear brinksmanship.
As for devastation, http://climate.envsci.rutgers.edu/pdf/RobockToonSciAmJan2010...
It does at least tell anyone with a scrap of skepticism though, where you're coming from. Equivocation is at the heart of apologism.