Putin lauds Modi, reaffirms ‘special’ ties, slammed US tariffs ahead of India visit

By Anjali Sharma

WASHINGTON – Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday has said he is looking forward to his visit to India in early December and awaits his meeting with his “dear friend and Russia’s trustworthy partner” Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“To be honest, I am also looking forward to this trip to India in early December,” Putin said.

He was speaking at the 2025 Valdai Discussion Club meeting in Sochi, he praised PM Modi as a “balanced and wise leader” who makes decisions based on the interests of his country.

Putin underlined the “special nature” of Moscow–New Delhi relations, emphasizing that the two nations have “never had any interstate disputes”.

“Our relations with India have been of a special nature since the days of the Soviet Union, when the Indian people fought for their independence. We have never had any problems or any kind of interstate friction with India,” he said.

He added that the two countries also enjoy a “trusting relationship” in the defense sector.

Putin stressed that it was “purely an economic calculation” with no political angle on India’s decision to continue importing Russian crude oil.

“That is purely an economic calculation. There is no political aspect here. If India refuses our energy supplies, it will suffer certain losses. Of course, the people of a country like India, believe me, will closely monitor the decisions made by the political leadership and will never allow any humiliation in front of anyone. And I know Prime Minister Modi he himself would never take any steps of this kind,” he said.

He slammed the US for trying to pressure India to halt its imports of Russian crude and asserting that New Delhi would never yield to such demands.

Putin said, “The losses faced by India due to punitive US tariffs would be balanced by crude imports from Russia, and it will also gain prestige as a sovereign nation taking exception to the Trump administration’s decision to impose additional tariffs.

“Estimates vary; some say it could be around USD 9–10 billion. But if it doesn’t refuse, sanctions will be imposed, and the loss will be the same. So why refuse if it also carries domestic political costs?” Putin said, added that PM Modi is a “nationally oriented leader.”

He added that Russia and India are also coordinating their positions in the international arena, and their foreign ministries are working very closely together.

Putin stressed that the current trade turnover between the two countries has not reached its full potential.

He said, “We have a turnover of about USD 63 billion with India. This clearly does not correspond to our potential capabilities,” adding that although there are trade imbalances, both countries are working to address them.

To boost mutual trade, Russia and India need to resolve issues related to logistics and payments, he said.

He added that opportunities to do so exist.

Putin’s remarks came two weeks after US President Donald Trump in his address at the United Nations General Assembly, called China and India the “primary funders” of the Ukraine war, accusing them of financing it by continuing to buy Russian oil.

US has imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on India as punishment for buying Russian oil, raising the total tax on Indian exports to 50 per cent.

He highlighted the deep trust between the two countries, which has helped navigate the relationship to include the joint production of advanced weapons systems a reflection of their robust and time-tested partnership.