- Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared India and Russia share a “special” relationship, standing by each other in difficult times.
- Modi said India and Russia have a special and privileged partnership, and that India “eagerly” awaits Putin’s visit later this year.
- The meeting between Modi and Putin comes at a time when their relationship is under global scrutiny, with US President Donald Trump criticizing India for buying oil from Russia.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared India and Russia share a “special” relationship, standing by each other in difficult times, in a defiant show of ties as Washington criticizes New Delhi over oil purchases. Modi used his opening remarks at a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in China to signal that New Delhi’s ties with Moscow remain firm despite relentless pressure from the Trump administration. In an unusual move, the two leaders rode together in Putin’s car to the meeting venue, spending about an hour conversing in the limo, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified to discuss private matters. It was an unscripted detour from their carefully planned schedule, the people added. Earlier in the day, the two leaders shared a warm embrace, with Modi calling their meeting “a delight.”
“India and Russia have a special and privileged partnership. In the most difficult and testing times, India and Russia have always stood by each other,” Modi said in opening remarks on Monday. He added that India “eagerly” awaits Putin’s visit later this year.
The Modi-Putin meeting comes at a time when their relationship is under global scrutiny. US President Donald Trump has publicly lambasted India for buying oil from Russia, accusing New Delhi of funding Putin’s war in Ukraine. Last week, the Trump administration imposed 50% tariffs on Indian goods bound for the US — the highest in Asia — to penalize it for those energy purchases. New Delhi has defended its ties with Moscow, calling Trump’s actions “unfair,” and has given no sign it will scale back purchases. In a column in The Hindu newspaper on Monday, Oil Minister Hardeep Puri said that India had not “broken rules” and that its purchases helped to shield the global economy from a price spike. Amid souring ties with the US, Modi used his visit to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit to mend relations with Beijing while reaffirming India’s deep partnership with Moscow. In another post on X, Modi said he and Putin talked about “ways to deepen bilateral cooperation in all sectors, including trade, fertilizers, space, security and culture.” The war in Ukraine was also discussed, he added.
Modi
Modi spoke with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy ahead of his trip to China, reiterating his call for peace. Zelenskiy said India was ready to “deliver the appropriate signal to Russia and other leaders” during Modi’s meetings in Tianjin. Modi last spoke with Putin after the Russian leader’s summit with Trump in Alaska to seek a peace deal. Modi also met Chinese President Xi Jinping at the summit, their first talks since Trump’s return to power. In the closely watched meeting, the two leaders pledged to be partners rather than rivals and announced steps to rebuild ties, including the resumption of direct flights between the two countries.