Putin Claims US Pressuring India Over Russia Ties, Praises PM Modi For Economic Growth

Russian President Vladimir Putin alleged that the United States is attempting to pressure India over its relations with Russia, while praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for steering the country’s rapid economic growth.

Speaking about India-Russia relations, Putin said external pressure on New Delhi over its ties with Moscow is harmful to international relations.

“The US is trying to pressure India, for example, when it comes to cooperation with Russia. But putting pressure on Narendra Modi’s democracy is detrimental for international relations. It doesn’t matter where this pressure comes from,” Putin said, as reported by Sputnik.

The Russian leader also expressed confidence that economic ties between India and Russia would continue to expand

significantly in the coming years. He said bilateral trade between the two countries is expected to reach $100 billion, marking an increase of more than 30 per cent from current levels.

“In 2025, the trade turnover between the two countries hit $68.7 billion. India is already one of Russia’s top trading partners,” he said.

Praising India’s economic trajectory, Putin credited the country’s growth to policies rolled out by the Modi government.

“This isn’t something that comes out of the blue. This is the result of the hard work that the Indian government has been doing under Prime Minister Modi,” he said.

India and Russia have maintained close strategic and economic ties despite geopolitical tensions and Western efforts to reduce Moscow’s global influence. Cooperation between the two countries spans energy, defence, trade and investment, with both sides seeking to deepen engagement through long-term economic and strategic partnerships.

Putin To Visit Delhi In September

Putin will travel to New Delhi for the BRICS Summit, which is taking place on September 12 and 13. This will mark his second visit to the country in less than a year, following his previous state visit for the India-Russia Annual Summit in December 2025.

During the December summit, Putin and PM Modi had underscored that the Russia-India relationship continues to be an anchor of global peace and stability that should be ensured upon the basis of equal and indivisible security.

The Leaders had underlined that India-Russia ties have remained resilient in the backdrop of the prevailing complex, challenging and uncertain geopolitical situation.