3 days ago
Modi and Russia's Putin speak on phone, pledge to deepen strategic partnership
NEW DELHI: India and Russia doubled down on their time-tested relationship on Friday against the backdrop of a US punitive tariff on New Delhi for buying Russian oil, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin pledging to deepen their strategic partnership. Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi pose for a photo during their meeting in the Bocharov Ruchei residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russia. (AP FILE)
Modi spoke on the phone with Putin to review the bilateral relationship, a day after Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva dialled the Indian leader to discuss the fallout of US President Donald Trump's tariff policy.
'Had a very good and detailed conversation with my friend President Putin. I thanked him for sharing the latest developments on Ukraine,' Modi said in a post on X after the conversation.
'We also reviewed the progress in our bilateral agenda, and reaffirmed our commitment to further deepen the India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership,' he said.
Modi said he looked forward to hosting Putin in India later this year.
The phone conversation took place a day after National Security Adviser Ajit Doval met with Putin and other senior Russian officials in Moscow, with both sides reiterating their commitment to the bilateral strategic partnership.
Doval said the strategic and privileged partnership has a 'very special role' amid an environment of unpredictability and uncertainties. Doval's Russian counterpart, Sergey Shoigu, said Russia wants to cooperate with India to ensure a 'more just' world order and 'jointly combat modern challenges and threats'.
On Wednesday, Trump signed an executive order imposing a 25% tariff on India for the continuing purchases of Russian oil. The penalty came on top of another 25% tariff that took effect on Thursday.
Trump has railed against India and Russia over the past few days for the trade and energy relations between the two countries and pressured New Delhi to cut its Russian oil purchases. Russia accounts for nearly 60% of India's armed forces' inventory and has become one of the largest suppliers of energy to India, providing 35% of its needs in the first half of 2025.
India has defended its energy purchases from Russia and criticised the US and the European Union for singling out New Delhi at a time when other countries buying Russian energy haven't faced penalties from the Trump administration.
An Indian readout on the phone conversation said Putin briefed Modi on the latest developments concerning Ukraine. Modi thanked Putin for the detailed assessment and reiterated India's consistent position for the peaceful resolution of the conflict.
Modi invited Putin to India later this year for the 23rd India-Russia Summit. Doval had said on Thursday that dates for the visit 'are almost finalised'.
Modi said on Thursday that India would not compromise with the interests of farmers and was ready to pay any price in this context, remarks perceived as a response to Trump's decision to impose an effective tariff rate of 50% on Indian exports.
'The interests of our farmers are our topmost priority. India will never compromise the interests of its farmers, its cattle rearers and fisherfolk,' Modi said. 'I know I'll have to pay a big price for this personally, but I'm prepared. India today is prepared to protect its farming community at any cost.'
The government has also responded to Trump's move by calling it 'unfair, unjustified and unreasonable' and vowed to protect national interests amid the widening fallout with the US.
At the same time, people familiar with developments in New Delhi and Washington said that both sides were also focused on retaining the gains made through cooperation in strategic sectors over the past two decades.
One of the people sought to draw a distinction between the overall India-US relations and the fallout of Trump's policies, and said: 'Both India and the US have invested a lot in this relationship and wouldn't want to see the gains evaporating.'
