PM goes all out to receive ‘time-tested friend’ as Putin slams tariffs on India

Russian President Vladimir Putin was received by PM Narendra Modi at the New Delhi airport tarmac on Thursday evening , breaking protocol and signalling India’s intent to put the “special” back in the strategic partnership between India and Russia.

This is Putin’s first visit to “old friend” India in four years — or since the start of the conflict with Ukraine.Putin, in an interview with India Today in Russia just hours ahead of his visit, questioned the US, saying that if it had the right to buy Russian fuel, “why shouldn’t India have the same privilege”.

The Indian PM “does not succumb to pressure” from any country, including the US, Putin said in his interview, and emphasised the seven-decade-old friendship with India, calling the partnership “stable, evolving and critical in a rapidly changing world”.

After Putin arrived, PM Modi posted on X, “Delighted to welcome my friend, President Putin to India. Looking forward to our interactions later this evening and tomorrow. The India-Russia friendship is a time-tested one that has greatly benefited our people.”

Modi and Putin will be attending the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit, as Moscow and New Delhi seek to expand their economic ties beyond the traditional — energy and defence.

Earlier, Putin, in his media interview, emphasised the India-Russia ties, saying, “The world is evolving rapidly. New centres of power emerging. Therefore, it’s crucial to ensure stability among major nations for gradual progress in both bilateral and international relations”.

“Russia’s collaboration with India spans an extensive array and, of course, the unique nature of our relationship adds another layer of significance,” Putin said, adding that “India’s progress over the past 77 years since gaining Independence, an extremely brief span in historical terms, has been substantial indeed, and India has truly come a long way in development”.

On his car ride with PM Modi during the SCO summit in China in October, Putin said “it was a simple gesture of camaraderie. There is nothing special here”.

Putin is accompanied to India by senior ministers and a large Russian business delegation. Several Russian ministers arrived in India ahead of Putin and met their Indian counterparts today and laid out the agenda for talks tomorrow.

At the summit tomorrow, India expects to improve trade deficit with Russia. Multiple avenues are being worked out to increase Indian exports to Russia — exports in the field of pharmaceuticals, automobiles and agricultural products, including fisheries.

Multiple agreements and MoUs are expected in shipping, healthcare, fertilisers and connectivity.

Today, Putin travelled in Modi’s vehicle as the duo moved towards the PM’s residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, for dinner. Before the two set off from the airport, a cultural troupe welcomed the Russian leader.

The last time Putin visited India was on December 6, 2021. The visit now is happening amid strained India-US relations over trade and tariff with the US having imposed punitive 50 per cent tariffs on Indian exports, including a 25 per cent penalty specifically targeting India’s Russian oil purchases.

Interestingly, ‘Flight Radar24’, a web portal that tracks flights across the world, posted on X, “Our most tracked flight now: one of the Russian government aircraft (with Putin on board) en route to India”.

Meanwhile, several ministerial meetings took place today. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met his counterpart Andrei Belousov.

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday India and Russia must work together to bring greater diversity and balance to their trade basket. He was speaking the India-Russia Business Forum in the national capital.

Rajiv Ranjan Singh, alias Lalan Singh, Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, met with his counterpart Oxana Lut.

Union Minister of Health JP Nadda met his counterpart Mikhail Murashko.