Vladimir Putin is risking a fresh row with Donald Trump after saying Moscow is prepared to provide “uninterrupted shipments” of fuel to India, after talks in Delhi with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi.
Putin signed an agreement to deepen the economic ties between the allies as Moscow looks to strengthen an embattled wartime economy, with the two leaders afterwards saying their ties were “resilient to external pressure”.
It is the latest evidence of the Indian prime minister looking to position himself closer to Russia, despite pressure from the US. Describing India’s enduring partnership with Russia as “a guiding star”, Modi said: “Based on mutual respect and deep trust, these relations have always stood the test of time.”
The 23rd Russia-India Summit came amid significant pressure from Washington on new Delhi to scale down its decades-old economic partnership with Russia, as the Trump administration looks to use economic pressure to push Moscow into agreeing a peace deal with Ukraine.
The US hit India with a 25 per cent tariff over purchases of Russian energy as it tries to put pressure on Moscow to end its war.
However, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov nonetheless assured that Russia and the United States were continuing to make progress in peace talks, which were revived in mid-November when US officials proposed a 28-point deal to end the war, which had been agreed with Moscow. Kyiv rejected the deal, which was widely viewed as a capitulation for Ukraine.
Putin was received at an airport in New Delhi on Thursday, where he was greeted by Modi with a bear hug and a tight handshake, ahead of crunch talks to finalise an economic cooperation programme to last until 2030.
The programme will diversify mutual business between the two countries, boosting annual trade to $100 billion within the next five years while continuing to strengthen their energy ties.
Critics warned that Putin’s visit could strain relations with the West and could jeopardize negotiations for major trade agreements. In August, Donald Trump raised tariffs on Indian goods to 50 per cent, citing New Delhi’s position as the second biggest importer of Russian crude after China.
Purchases of Russian oil, Washington says, help finance Moscow’s war machine. In October, the US sanctioned two of Moscow’s biggest oil producers to force countries like India to cut down on imports. Indian officials have said New Delhi has always abided by international sanctions and would do so in the case of Russia oil purchases.
India’s foreign secretary Vikram Misri told reporters that the recent sanctions imposed on Russian oil were discussed.
Elsewhere, it has emerged that an Irish navy ship spotted up to five drones operating near the flight path of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s aircraft as he arrived for a state visit to Ireland on Monday, local media reported.
The sighting triggered a major security alert amid fears it was an attempt to interfere with the flight path, The Irish Times reported. It quoted unnamed sources as saying the aircraft, which arrived slightly early, was not in any danger.
The Ukrainian delegation arrived late on Monday and departed late the next day as part of a trip to help drum up support in Europe as Kyiv faces their fourth winter of war.
