Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met on Monday on the sidelines of a regional summit in China, in a sign of strengthening ties at a time when New Delhi’s relations with Washington are tense due to the purchase of Russian oil.
Putin, Modi friendship on display
Following their attendance at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)’s main session in the port city of Tianjin, where negotiations happened on bilateral commerce, energy cooperation, and regional stability, Modi and Putin had talks.
Modi described the relationship with Moscow as “special and privileged” in his opening remarks for the talks. Putin called Modi a “dear friend” and said Russia’s relationship with India was unique, cordial, and trustworthy.
“Russia and India have maintained special relations for decades. Friendly, trusting. This is the foundation for the development of our relations in the future,” Putin said.
Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said earlier that the Russian president intends to visit India in December for the 23rd India-Russia annual summit.
During the SCO summit, Modi praised the efforts to put an end to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and urged all stakeholders involved to proceed in a constructive manner.
“To end the conflict soonest and establish peace permanently, we need to find out a way. It’s a call of the entire humanity,” Modi said.
A big delegation, comprising senior government officials, joined Putin for the SCO summit. According to Russian state media, Putin and Modi had a nearly hour-long one-on-one conversation in a Russian-built limousine that the former frequently uses while travelling abroad before they sat down for their official meeting.
Just before the leaders of the SCO countries lined up for a group photo op, Modi was seen laughing heartily and firmly holding Putin’s hand like an old friend. Putin smiled and laughed, and Chinese President Xi Jinping smiled measuredly, creating an infectious moment. For a few seconds, the three engaged in animated conversation while being ringed by attentive interlocutors.
India may have previously shied away from such overt displays with China and Russia, but Trump’s steep tariffs give New Delhi “little incentive” to hold back, New York Times reported.
Prior to the summit’s sessions on Sunday, Modi and Xi met and made a commitment to strengthen their cooperation and settle their Himalayan border disputes which erupted into a deadly clash in the Galwan Valley in 2020.
Trade tensions spark strategic realignment
As a punitive measure for India’s continuous purchases of cheap Russian oil, US President Donald Trump put an extra 25 percent duty on Indian imports, bringing the total tariffs to a steep 50 percent. This made Monday’s bilateral meeting between Modi and Putin even more significant.
Washington has cautioned New Delhi on several occasions not to purchase Russian oil, claiming that it was aiding Russia in the Ukraine war. India has maintained that its imports are necessary to supply its 1.4 billion people’s growing energy needs.
New Delhi has become closer to China and Russia due to Trump’s high tariffs and the White House’s tone, analysts said.
“While India-China reengagements started much before Trump, his policies are accelerating a process whereby India seems to be working much more closely with China and Russia to push back against economic unilateralism it is witnessing from the US,” said Harsh Pant, vice president of foreign policy at New Delhi based think tank the Observer Research Foundation.
Last year, Modi visited Russia twice. The first was a July visit to Moscow for negotiations with Putin, his first travel to Russia since the Kremlin’s military invaded Ukraine in February 2022. He then travelled to Kazan in October for the summit of the BRICS bloc of developing economies.
Trump criticises India
Trump continued to poke fun at New Delhi on Monday while Xi, Putin, and Modi displayed remarkable unity.
Trump said in a Truth Social post as the SCO summit came to an end that the trade relationship between the United States and India “has been a totally one-sided disaster!” Additionally, Trump reacted angrily to India’s increasing imports of Russian oil and hinted that a trade deal with New Delhi was not imminent.
“They have now offered to cut their Tariffs to nothing, but it’s getting late. They should have done so years ago. Just some simple facts for people to ponder!!!” he said in his post.
Economic bonds that shape regional growth
Since the Cold War, Russia and India have maintained close ties. However, when the Ukraine war began, New Delhi has become a key trade partner.
After the West boycotted Russian exports in retaliation against Moscow, China and India emerged as major buyers of Russian oil.
India has typically purchased its crude from the Middle East, but the third-largest importer of crude in the world, behind China and the US, has begun purchasing Russian oil at a discount. Analysts and Indian officials estimate that approximately 37 percent of India’s oil imports currently come from Russia.
India and Russia’s trade have grown significantly in recent years, hitting a record $68.7 billion in the 2024–2025 fiscal. According to Indian government data, India’s exports came to approximately $5 billion, while Russia’s imports came to about $64 billion.