Modi and Putin affirm special relationship as India faces steep US tariffs over Russian oil imports

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 power cooperation.

In his remarks to open the talks, Modi termed the partnership with Moscow as “particular and privileged.” Putin addressed Modi as a “expensive 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 overseas affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov.

Relationships on show

Modi used the SCO assembly to welcome the initiatives aimed toward halting the battle between Russia and Ukraine and referred to as on the stakeholders to maneuver ahead constructively.

“To finish the battle soonest and set up peace completely, we have to discover out a manner. It is a name of all the 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 commonly takes on overseas journeys.

Moments earlier than the leaders lined up for a gaggle picture, Modi was seen clasping Putin’s hand with the gusto of an outdated good friend, bursting into his trademark hearty laughter.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 just a few 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 full duties to a steep 50%, in retaliation for India’s continued purchases of discounted Russian oil.

Washington has repeatedly warned New Delhi in opposition to shopping for Russian crude, which it mentioned was partly retaining Moscow’s revenues afloat to fund the Ukraine struggle. India has defended its imports as important for assembly the rising power 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 way more carefully with China and Russia to push again in opposition to financial unilateralism it’s witnessing from the U.S.,” mentioned Harsh Pant, vice chairman of overseas coverage at New Delhi primarily based assume tank the Observer Analysis Basis.

Modi travelled to Russia twice final 12 months. The primary was a go to to Moscow for talks with Putin in July, which was his first journey to Russia because the 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 growing 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 publish 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 take care of New Delhi is in sight.

“They’ve now supplied to chop their Tariffs to nothing, nevertheless it’s getting late,” Trump mentioned within the posting on his Fact Social platform. “They need to have completed 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 because the Chilly Warfare, and New Delhi’s significance as a key buying and selling associate has grown because the struggle 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 out there 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 in recent times, reaching a document $68.7 billion within the 2024-25 monetary 12 months. 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 adequate strategic autonomy in its overseas coverage to take care of and strengthen its multi-dimensional partnership, mentioned Sreeram Sundar Chaulia, a global affairs skilled at New Delhi’s Jindal Faculty of Worldwide Affairs.

On the identical time, the Indian authorities hopes the current tough climate between India and the U.S. is a short lived 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.