NEW DELHI: Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asserted that the Indian PM does not succumb to pressure from any country, including the US. Russian President Vladimir Putin was speaking to Aaj Tak and India Today at the Kremlin ahead of his India visit and called India a major global player.
“Prime Minister Modi is not someone who succumbs to pressure easily. The Indian people can certainly take pride in their leader. This is absolutely obvious. His stance is unwavering and straightforward, without being confrontational. Our goal is not to provoke conflict; rather, we aim to protect our lawful rights. India does the same”, he reiterated.
Putin described his relationship with PM Modi as both professional and personal, rooted in mutual trust and long-term cooperation. He called PM Modi a leader who sets “very challenging tasks” and drives India’s high-growth trajectory with key initiatives like Make in India. “Our collaborative endeavours with Prime Minister Modi carry significant weight because they transcend our mutual ties. Given its direct relevance to both nations, ensuring stability in key areas of engagement is crucial, as it helps secure the fulfilment of our objectives. Prime Minister Modi sets very challenging tasks for the country – and for himself in the first place, then for the administration and eventually for the nation”, President Putin added.
Putin said that PM Modi’s call for ‘Make in India’ has a practical dimension to the bilateral relations.
“Take, for example, his famous pitch, “Make in India.” It has a practical dimension, including for our bilateral relations. When we meet, he always says, “Let’s do this, let’s do that, let’s look at this area and that. I can list them all. Therefore, we have a lot of practical areas of cooperation”, he said.
Putin emphasised the seven-decade-old ‘dostee/druzhba’, calling the partnership stable, evolving and critical in a rapidly changing world. He noted that India and Russia’s cooperation goes beyond bilateral ties and contributes to global stability. “You know, the world is evolving rapidly and this pace keeps getting faster, which is plainly visible to all. The global configuration is changing, with new centres of power emerging and the global power landscape is changing too. Therefore, it’s crucial to ensure stability among major nations, since this forms the groundwork for gradual progress in both bilateral and international relations”, President Putin exclaimed.
Putin even shared an anecdote about the informal car ride with PM Modi during the SCO Summit, describing it as a simple gesture of camaraderie. “We have just gone over the current topics. This wasn’t prearranged; we simply stepped out, and my car was waiting. I asked, “Would you like to come along?” That’s all there is to it, a gesture of human solidarity, camaraderie and friendship. No hidden scheme was involved. We climbed into the car like old friends and talked en route. We always have things to discuss. What’s more, we continued our conversation and just remained in the car”, he said.
“Eventually, I suggested: Let’s go, they are already waiting for us. There is nothing special here; it simply indicates that we have matters to discuss and those matters are very important to us”, Putin added. Putin said that India is no longer a nation that can be treated “as it was 77 years ago”. “It appears that both India and the world recognise that India cannot continue to be treated the way it was treated 77 years ago. India is a major global player, not a British colony and everyone must accept this reality”, he said. Putin lauded the collaboration India shares with Russia which spans over an extensive array of collaborations.
“I am delighted to be meeting, as you’ve mentioned, my friend Prime Minister Modi. We have made a specific arrangement to do so in India because there are numerous topics on which we need to talk, and our collaboration with India spans an extensive array and, of course, the unique nature of our relationship adds another layer of significance. I also want to highlight 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”, President Putin affirmed.
Russian President Vladimir Putin further spoke on the growing developmental partnership between Russia and India and how it is purely bilateral in nature without targeting any third country. He said that growing cooperation between India and Russia is not targeted at any third country, including the United States, while addressing questions on the future of bilateral ties and Washington’s reactions to them.
In the interview with Aaj Tak and India Today in Kremlin ahead of his India visit, he was asked how India and Russia should handle US President Donald Trump’s tariff-driven policies, which have also affected India.
Putin responded by saying, “He pursues his own policy and he has advisors his decisions aren’t made out of thin air. He has advisors who believe that implementing such tariff policies, involving the imposition of additional duties on trade partners, ultimately benefits the US economy. He is acting in good faith, I presume”. Putin said Russia does not follow such practices, adding, “Our experts believe there are risks involved, but it is the choice of each country and its leadership to decide which economic policy to adopt. We have never engaged in such practices, do not do so now and have no intention of doing so in the future. Our economy is open. We hope that, in the end, all violations of World Trade Organisation regulations will be rectified”.
When asked about how President Trump might react to India-Russia initiatives such as “Make in India, Make with Russia”, Putin stressed that the partnership is not directed against any nation. “You know, neither me nor Prime Minister Modi, despite certain external pressure we face, have ever and I want to emphasise this, I want you to hear it, approached our collaboration to work against someone. President 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. In our dealings, we cause no harm to others and I believe that leaders from other countries should appreciate this”, President Putin explained.
Addressing Trump’s criticism of India’s energy imports, Putin highlighted that the US itself continues to buy Russian nuclear materials. “As for India’s purchases or purchase of energy resources from Russia. Well, I would like to note and have already mentioned this publicly once the United States itself still buys nuclear fuel from us for its own nuclear power plants”. “That is also fuel – uranium for the reactors operating in the United States. If the US has the right to buy our fuel, why shouldn’t India have the same privilege? This question deserves thorough examination and we stand ready to discuss it, including with President Trump”, President Putin gave a sharp and a firm reply, thus shattering all illogical criticisms.
(With Inputs from ANI)
