Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Tianjin, China, on Monday, as India’s energy partnership with Russia faced renewed scrutiny following new trade measures by the United States.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. It comes after the United States imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian purchases of Russian oil and raised tariffs on Indian goods bound for the US to 50 per cent, according to ET. Washington has criticised New Delhi for continuing to buy oil from Moscow, arguing that it funds the war in Ukraine.
India–Russia ties
During the bilateral meeting, Modi said India and Russia had stood “shoulder to shoulder even in the most difficult situations”. He described their cooperation as “important not only for the people of both countries but also for global peace, stability and prosperity”. He referred to the partnership as “special and privileged”.
Putin noted that 21 December would mark 15 years since the two countries reached their “Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership”. He said the relationship was “principle-based and has multidimensional cooperation”.
India has emerged as the largest buyer of Russian oil since Western sanctions cut Moscow off from some markets after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. India now imports 36 per cent of its crude oil from Russia, equivalent to 1.8 million barrels per day in 2024–25. Other major suppliers include Iraq (20 per cent), Saudi Arabia (14 per cent), the United Arab Emirates (9 per cent) and the United States (4 per cent).
American officials have accused India of benefiting from discounted Russian crude, while New Delhi has argued that Western nations continue to import Russian goods. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India’s relations with other countries “stand on their own merit and should not be seen from the prism of a third country”.
Had an excellent meeting with President Putin on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Tianjin. Discussed ways to deepen bilateral cooperation in all sectors, including trade, fertilisers, space, security and culture. We exchanged views on regional and global developments, including… pic.twitter.com/DhTyqOysbf
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 1, 2025
Ukraine conflict
Modi also raised the conflict in Ukraine during his remarks to Putin. “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, adding that India welcomed recent peace efforts and hoped “all the relevant sides will move forward constructively”.Ahead of his meeting with Putin, Modi spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy said India was prepared to “deliver the appropriate signal to Russia and other leaders” during Modi’s engagements in Tianjin.
Putin is scheduled to visit India later this year.
