Modi and Putin affirm special relationship as India faces steep US
tariffs over Russian oil imports
[September 02, 2025] By
RAJESH ROY and HUIZHONG WU
TIANJIN, China (AP) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian
President Vladimir Putin met on the sidelines of a regional summit in
China on Monday in a show of deepening ties when New Delhi’s relations
with Washington are strained over the purchase of Russian oil.
The two leaders held talks after attending the key session of the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization gathering in the port city of Tianjin,
where discussions focused on regional stability, bilateral trade and
energy cooperation.
In his remarks to open the talks, Modi termed the partnership with
Moscow as “special and privileged.” Putin addressed Modi as a “dear
friend” and hailed Russia’s ties with India as special, friendly and
trusting.
“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 plans to travel to India in December for the 23rd India-Russia
annual summit, according to his foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov.
Relationships on display
Modi used the SCO meeting to welcome the initiatives aimed at halting
the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and called on the stakeholders
to move forward constructively.
“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.
Putin was accompanied by a large delegation that included top government
officials. Russian state media reported that before sitting down for
their formal meeting, Putin and Modi spoke one-on-one for almost an hour
in a Russian-made limousine that Putin regularly takes on foreign trips.
Moments before the leaders lined up for a group photo, Modi was seen
clasping Putin's hand with the gusto of an old friend, bursting into his
trademark hearty laughter. The moment was infectious as Putin grinned
and chuckled, while Chinese President Xi Jinping gave a measured smile.
The trio, ringed by watchful interlocuters, chatted animatedly for a few
seconds.
Modi met Xi ahead of the opening of the summit Sunday and the two
leaders pledged to resolve their border differences and bolster
cooperation.
Washington pushing together China, Russia and India
Monday's bilateral meeting between Modi and Putin carried added
significance by coming days after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed an
additional 25% tariffs on Indian imports, raising the total duties to a
steep 50%, in retaliation for India’s continued purchases of discounted
Russian oil.
Washington has repeatedly warned New Delhi against buying Russian crude,
which it said was partly keeping Moscow’s revenues afloat to fund the
Ukraine war. India has defended its imports as essential for meeting the
growing energy needs of its 1.4 billion people.
Analysts said Trump’s steep tariffs and the tone coming from the White
House have pushed New Delhi closer to China and Russia.
“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 U.S.,” said Harsh Pant, vice
president of foreign policy at New Delhi based think tank the Observer
Research Foundation.
[to top of second column] |
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, and Russian President
Vladimir Putin pose during their meeting on the sidelines of the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China,
Monday, Sept. 1, 2025. (Vladimir Smirnov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool
Photo via AP)
 Modi travelled to Russia twice last
year. The first was a visit to Moscow for talks with Putin in July,
which was his first trip to Russia since the full-scale invasion of
Ukraine by the Kremlin’s forces in February 2022. He then traveled
to Kazan in October for the summit of the BRICS bloc of developing
economies.
Trump's reaction
As Xi, Putin and Modi showed extraordinary unity, Trump on Monday
continued to jab at New Delhi.
As the summit wrapped up, Trump charged in a social media post that
historically the U.S.-India trade relationship “has been a totally
one sided disaster!” Trump also bristled about India surging its
Russian oil purchases and signaled no trade deal with New Delhi is
in sight.
“They have now offered to cut their Tariffs to nothing, but it’s
getting late,” Trump said in the posting on his Truth Social
platform. “They should have done so years ago. Just some simple
facts for people to ponder!!!”
SCO nations share a history of business partnerships
Russia has had strong ties with India since the Cold War, and New
Delhi’s importance as a key trading partner has grown since the war
between Moscow and Ukraine.
China and India have become key buyers of Russian oil after the West
shunned Russian exports to punish Moscow.
India historically bought most of its crude from the Middle East,
but the world’s third-largest crude importer after China and the
U.S. has started buying Russian oil available at discounted rates.
Russia now accounts for around 37% of India’s total oil imports,
according to analysts and Indian officials.
Trade between India and Russia has sharply increased in recent
years, reaching a record $68.7 billion in the 2024-25 financial
year. Imports from Russia reached around $64 billion and exports
from India totaled about $5 billion, according to Indian government
data.
The two nations aspire to bolster trade to $100 billion by 2030.
Modi’s meeting with Putin underscored New Delhi’s stance that India
prized its old and reliable strategic partners and has sufficient
strategic autonomy in its foreign policy to maintain and strengthen
its multi-dimensional partnership, said Sreeram Sundar Chaulia, an
international affairs expert at New Delhi’s Jindal School of
International Affairs.
At the same time, the Indian government hopes the present rough
weather between India and the U.S. is a temporary aberration,
Chaulia said.
“Then, India can return happily to having the Russian cake and
eating the American pie as part of its multi-alignment strategy,”
Chaulia said.
___
Roy reported from New Delhi. Aamer Madhani in Washington
contributed.
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