TIANJIN, China: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin met this week in China, on the sidelines of theregional summit, at a time when India’s ties with the United States are under pressure.
Washington has been unhappy with New Delhi’s continued imports of Russian oil, but Modi and Putin used their meeting to highlight how close India and Russia have become.
The two leaders spoke after attending a session of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in the Chinese port city of Tianjin. Their talks covered regional security, trade, and especially energy cooperation. Modi described the India-Russia partnership as “special and privileged,” while Putin warmly referred to Modi as a “dear friend.” He emphasized that Russia and India have enjoyed decades of friendship built on trust, which he said would remain the basis of future cooperation.
Putin’s foreign affairs adviser later announced that he would travel to India in December for the next annual India-Russia summit. Meanwhile, Modi used the SCO platform to stress the importance of peace in Ukraine. Without directly blaming any side, he said the conflict needed to end quickly for the sake of all humanity, and he urged stakeholders to find a constructive solution.
The Russian president arrived with a large team of senior officials. Before their official meeting, Putin and Modi had an informal one-on-one conversation in Putin’s Russian-made limousine, where they reportedly spoke for nearly an hour.
Later, during the summit’s group photo session, Modi greeted Putin with a broad smile and a firm handshake. Their friendly exchange—complete with Modi’s trademark laugh—drew a grin from Putin and even a polite smile from Chinese President Xi Jinping, who stood nearby.
Earlier in the day, Modi also met Xi. The two leaders pledged to work on easing long-standing border disputes and agreed to strengthen cooperation in other areas. This added another layer of importance to the India-Russia meeting, especially given the tensions between India and the U.S.
The timing of Modi’s meeting with Putin was significant. Just days earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump had slapped an extra 25 percent tariff on Indian goods, doubling duties to 50 percent. This move came as retaliation for India’s ongoing purchase of discounted Russian oil. Washington argues that buying Russian crude helps Moscow finance its war in Ukraine. India, however, says it must buy affordable energy to meet the needs of its 1.4 billion citizens.
Experts in New Delhi believe Trump’s tariff hike is pushing India closer to Russia and even China. Harsh Pant, a foreign policy specialist at the Observer Research Foundation, noted that while India’s outreach to China began earlier, U.S. trade actions are accelerating India’s willingness to work more closely with both Moscow and Beijing.
As the SCO summit ended, Trump attacked India again on social media. In a post, he alleged that historically, the U.S.-India trade relationship “has been a totally one-sided disaster!”
“They have now offered to cut their tariffs to nothing, but it’s getting late,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform. “They should have done so years ago. Just some simple facts for people to ponder!!!”