New Delhi, India – Under a thick blanket of smog in the world’s most polluted city, the leaders of Russia and India put on a display of diplomatic resilience, projecting a message that their bilateral partnership remains insulated from widening global fractures.
At the Russia-India annual bilateral summit in New Delhi – against a backdrop of intensifying Western pressure, punctuated by recent United States tariff threats and the ongoing negotiations to end Russia’s war in Ukraine – the two leaders framed their relationship as a stabilising force.
While Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the two countries’ relations as “steadfast like a pole star”, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin showered praise on his Indian counterpart for resisting “external pressure” and investing in the shared bond.
In a rare break from protocol, Modi was present at the airport in Delhi to receive Putin on Thursday night, and shared the car ride back to the Indian PM’s residence for dinner, in what has come to be known as “limo diplomacy” as Putin often uses his Aurus limousine to hold talks.
On Friday, memorandums of understanding were exchanged between multiple ministers from each side, expanding trade and cooperation in various sectors, from energy to agriculture and pharmaceuticals.
The deals, Modi said, would take “India-Russia economic partnership to new heights” under the India-Russia economic cooperation programme until 2030. The countries have agreed on an ambitious trade target of $100bn.
And, in a major signal to the West, Putin said: “Russia is ready for uninterrupted shipments of fuel to India.” Importing Russian crude has put India in a geopolitical bind and soured relations with the US, which believes it is financing the war in Ukraine. Earlier this year, US President Donald Trump hit India with an additional trade tariff of 25 percent – bringing the total to 50 percent on Indian goods exported to the US – because of its continuing purchase of Russian oil.
