modi speaks to putin
New Delhi, Aug. 9 -- India and Russia doubled down on their time-tested relationship on Friday against the backdrop of the US's punitive tariff on New Delhi for buying Russian oil, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin pledging to deepen their strategic partnership.
Modi spoke on phone with Putin to review the bilateral relationship, a day after Brazilian President Luiz Inacio 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 on social media 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 came a day after National Security Adviser Ajit Doval met 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 almost 60% of the inventory of India's armed forces 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....
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