Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday told Russian President Vladimir Putin that India is not neutral, but “on the side of peace”, underlining New Delhi’s support to resolve the war in Ukraine.
“We stand shoulder to shoulder in these peace efforts,” Modi told Putin, who arrived in New Delhi on Thursday for a two-day summit with the Indian prime minister.
This is the Russian president’s first visit to India since Moscow’s war on Ukraine began in February 2022. The invasion triggered the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II.
Amid the conflict, Indian entities are facing a threat of Western sanctions for purchasing oil from Russia.
Shortly after arriving in New Delhi, Putin had told India Today on Thursday that “certain actors clearly dislike India’s growing role in international markets” because of its close ties with Russia and were trying to limit New Delhi’s influence by creating “artificial obstacles”.
He maintained that energy cooperation between India and Russia remained unaffected by “fleeting political swings” or by the war in Ukraine.
On Friday, Modi stated that New Delhi had been in touch with Moscow after the war in Ukraine began.
“You have also been making us aware of the developments as a true friend,” he told Putin. “This trust is a big strength, and we have discussed this issue many times.”
The prime minister stated that the welfare of the world would be achieved through peace and that “we should all work together towards peace”.
“With the efforts that have been going on recently, I believe, the world will once again return toward the direction of peace,” added Modi.
Modi has on several occasions reiterated India’s stance on Moscow’s war on Ukraine.
In February, after meeting with United States President Donald Trump, the prime minister had stated that while “many people are in a misconception that India is neutral”, the country is “on a side, and that is peace”.
He had repeated this in June, ahead of his visit to the US.
The prime minister had also told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in August that from the beginning of the war, India “chose the side of peace”.
Putin on India-Russia partnership
In an interview to India Today on Thursday, Putin said that the partnership between India and Russia is not directed against any country and is based solely on safeguarding the national interests of both sides.
The Russian president was asked about mounting pressure from the United States on both countries and the recent tariff measures introduced by Trump.
Putin maintained that “neither me nor Prime Minister Modi, despite certain external pressure we face, have ever…approached our collaboration to work against someone”.
He said that Trump “has his own agenda, his own goals, whereas we focus on ours – not against anyone, but rather aimed at safeguarding our respective interests, India’s and Russia’s interests”.
Putin also highlighted that “the US itself still buys nuclear fuel from us for its own nuclear power plants”.
Addressing the reduction in India’s crude purchases from Russia earlier in the year, Putin said that the decline was a “minor adjustment” and that overall trade levels remained “almost” the same as before.
On the Ukraine conflict, Putin said he believed the US was actively seeking a solution, saying he was certain that Trump “sincerely aims for a peaceful resolution”, while acknowledging that political or economic motives might also be involved.
The US and its European allies have imposed a series of sanctions on Russian businesses, especially oil exporters, since the Ukraine war began in February 2022. In October, Washington announced new measures targeting major energy firms Rosneft and Lukoil.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that purchases of Russian oil, including by India, are helping fund Moscow’s war. In August, his administration doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50% in response to New Delhi’s continued imports of Russian crude. India called the move “extremely unfortunate”.
On November 10, Trump said the tariffs would be reduced “at some point” and claimed India had cut its Russian oil purchases.
On November 20, Reliance Industries halted imports of Russian oil to its Jamnagar refinery in Gujarat. The conglomerate which is India’s largest fuel exporter used to account for roughly half of the country’s total imports from Russia.
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