Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, focused on the resilience of India’s partnership with Russia, amid United States imposing an additional 25% tariff on Indian purchases of Russian oil.
Modi and Putin met at a time when their relationship is under global scrutiny. US President Donald Trump has criticised India for buying oil from Russia, accusing New Delhi of funding 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.
During his bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Tianjin, China, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, “… India and Russia have always stood shoulder to shoulder even in the most difficult situations. Our close cooperation is important not only for the people of both countries but also for global peace, stability and prosperity. This is the definition of our deep, ‘special and privileged strategic partnership’,” PM Modi said.
Also Read: Did PM Modi take a jibe at China’s Belt and Road Initiative with his ‘connectivity’ remark at SCO Summit?
The Russian president, too, spoke in support of the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership with India. “Dear friend, 21 December will mark 15 years since we achieved our Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership. I can say with confidence that our relationship is principle-based and has multidimensional cooperation,” said Russian President Vladimir Putin in his opening remarks during the bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Both Modi and Putin are in Tianjin to attend the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
India-Russia oil ties
India has become the biggest buyer of Russian oil supplies that were displaced by Western sanctions after Moscow invaded Ukraine in 2022. This has allowed Indian refiners to benefit from cheaper crude. At present, India imports 36 per cent of its oil needs from Russia. Of the 5.4 million barrels per day (mbpd) of imports, 36 per cent (1.8 mbpd) of crude oil came from its top supplier, Russia, in 2024-25. Other key suppliers of crude oil to India are Saudi Arabia (14 per cent), Iraq (20 per cent), the UAE (9 per cent) and the USA (4 per cent).U.S. officials have accused India of profiteering from discounted Russian oil, while Indian officials have accused the West of double standards because the European Union and the U.S. still buy Russian goods worth billions of dollars.
India has defended its ties with Russia, one of its biggest suppliers of weapons dating back to the Cold War. The two nations have a “steady and time-tested partnership,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters. “Our bilateral relationships with various countries stand on their own merit and should not be seen from the prism of a third country,” Jaiswal said.
Also Read: Terror financing, Ukraine & global bullies: What troika of Modi, Putin & Xi said at SCO summit
Ukraine remains a point of focus
While focusing on ties between the two nations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday also conveyed to Putin that it is humanity’s call to end the Ukraine conflict as soon as possible.
“We welcome all recent efforts to bring peace to Ukraine and hope that all the relevant sides will move forward constructively”, Modi said in his televised opening remarks.
The call of humanity is to end the conflict as soon as possible and find ways to bring permanent peace to the region, he said.
He said close relations between India and Russia are significant for global peace, stability and prosperity.
Ahead of meeting with Putin, PM Modi also spoke with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy 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. Putin is expected to visit India later this year.
