Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin pose throughout their assembly on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Group (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China, Monday, Sept. 1, 2025.
Vladimir Smirnov/AP/Pool Sputnik Kremlin
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Vladimir Smirnov/AP/Pool Sputnik Kremlin
TIANJIN, China — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin met on the sidelines of a regional summit in China on Monday in a present of deepening ties when New Delhi’s relations with Washington are strained over the acquisition of Russian oil.
The 2 leaders held talks after attending the important thing session of the Shanghai Cooperation Group gathering within the port metropolis of Tianjin, the place discussions centered on regional stability, bilateral commerce and vitality cooperation.
In his remarks to open the talks, Modi termed the partnership with Moscow as “particular and privileged.” Putin addressed Modi as a “pricey good friend” and hailed Russia’s ties with India as particular, pleasant and trusting.
“Russia and India have maintained particular relations for many years. Pleasant, trusting. That is the inspiration for the event of our relationships sooner or later,” Putin mentioned.
Putin plans to journey to India in December for the twenty third India-Russia annual summit, in accordance with his international affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov.
Relationships on show
Modi used the SCO assembly to welcome the initiatives geared toward halting the battle between Russia and Ukraine and known as on the stakeholders to maneuver ahead constructively.
“To finish the battle soonest and set up peace completely, we have to discover out a means. It is a name of the whole humanity,” Modi mentioned.
Putin was accompanied by a big delegation that included high authorities officers. Russian state media reported that earlier than sitting down for his or her formal assembly, Putin and Modi spoke one-on-one for nearly an hour in a Russian-made limousine that Putin recurrently takes on international journeys.
Moments earlier than the leaders lined up for a bunch photograph, Modi was seen clasping Putin’s hand with the gusto of an outdated good friend, bursting into his trademark hearty laughter. The second was infectious as Putin grinned and chuckled, whereas Chinese language President Xi Jinping gave a measured smile. The trio, ringed by watchful interlocuters, chatted animatedly for a couple of seconds.
Modi met Xi forward of the opening of the summit Sunday and the 2 leaders pledged to resolve their border variations and bolster cooperation.
Washington pushing collectively China, Russia and India
Monday’s bilateral assembly between Modi and Putin carried added significance by coming days after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed an extra 25% tariffs on Indian imports, elevating the entire duties to a steep 50%, in retaliation for India’s continued purchases of discounted Russian oil.
Washington has repeatedly warned New Delhi towards shopping for Russian crude, which it mentioned was partly preserving Moscow’s revenues afloat to fund the Ukraine warfare. India has defended its imports as important for assembly the rising vitality wants of its 1.4 billion folks.
Analysts mentioned Trump’s steep tariffs and the tone coming from the White Home have pushed New Delhi nearer to China and Russia.
“Whereas India-China reengagements began a lot earlier than Trump, his insurance policies are accelerating a course of whereby India appears to be working rather more intently with China and Russia to push again towards financial unilateralism it’s witnessing from the U.S.,” mentioned Harsh Pant, vp of international coverage at New Delhi based mostly suppose tank the Observer Analysis Basis.
Modi travelled to Russia twice final yr. The primary was a go to to Moscow for talks with Putin in July, which was his first journey to Russia for the reason that full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Kremlin’s forces in February 2022. He then traveled to Kazan in October for the summit of the BRICS bloc of creating economies.
Trump’s response
As Xi, Putin and Modi confirmed extraordinary unity, Trump on Monday continued to jab at New Delhi.
Because the summit wrapped up, Trump charged in a social media submit that traditionally the U.S.-India commerce relationship “has been a very one sided catastrophe!” Trump additionally bristled about India surging its Russian oil purchases and signaled no commerce cope with New Delhi is in sight.
“They’ve now provided to chop their Tariffs to nothing, however it’s getting late,” Trump mentioned within the posting on his Reality Social platform. “They need to have achieved so years in the past. Just a few easy info for folks to ponder!!!”
SCO nations share a historical past of enterprise partnerships
Russia has had sturdy ties with India for the reason that Chilly Battle, and New Delhi’s significance as a key buying and selling companion has grown for the reason that warfare between Moscow and Ukraine.
China and India have turn into key patrons of Russian oil after the West shunned Russian exports to punish Moscow.
India traditionally purchased most of its crude from the Center East, however the world’s third-largest crude importer after China and the U.S. has began shopping for Russian oil obtainable at discounted charges. Russia now accounts for round 37% of India’s whole oil imports, in accordance with analysts and Indian officers.
Commerce between India and Russia has sharply elevated lately, reaching a document $68.7 billion within the 2024-25 monetary yr. Imports from Russia reached round $64 billion and exports from India totaled about $5 billion, in accordance with Indian authorities information.
The 2 nations aspire to bolster commerce to $100 billion by 2030.
Modi’s assembly with Putin underscored New Delhi’s stance that India prized its outdated and dependable strategic companions and has enough strategic autonomy in its international coverage to take care of and strengthen its multi-dimensional partnership, mentioned Sreeram Sundar Chaulia, a global affairs professional at New Delhi’s Jindal College of Worldwide Affairs.
On the similar time, the Indian authorities hopes the current tough climate between India and the U.S. is a brief aberration, Chaulia mentioned.
“Then, India can return fortunately to having the Russian cake and consuming the American pie as a part of its multi-alignment technique,” Chaulia mentioned.
