Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on a phone call, in which both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to deepen India-Russia ties, days after US President Donald
Trump imposed 50% tariffs on Indian goods over Russian oil purchases.
PM Modi and Putin also reviewed progress in the bilateral agenda and held talks on the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between India and Russia.
President Putin briefed the PM on the latest developments concerning Ukraine. While thanking President Putin for his detailed assessment, the Prime Minister reiterated India’s consistent position for a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
Had a very good and detailed conversation with my friend President Putin. I thanked him for sharing the latest developments on Ukraine. We also reviewed the progress in our bilateral agenda, and reaffirmed our commitment to further deepen the India-Russia Special and Privileged…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 8, 2025
The Prime Minister invitedPresident Putin to India later this year for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit.
Why Putin’s India Visit Is Significant In Current Scenario Of US Tariff Row?
India’s National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval met Putin on Thursday. He earlier informed that Putin will visit India later this year, his first trip to New Delhi in four years.
Earlier on Thursday, PM Modi received a telephone call from Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. During the call, the two leaders agreed on a framework to strengthen cooperation in trade, technology, energy, defence, agriculture, health and people-to-people ties.
India-Russia Bilateral Ties
Over the past decade, India’s partnership with the United States has expanded through initiatives such as the Quad. However, New Delhi continues to characterise its relationship with Moscow as a “steady and time-tested partnership.”
India has justified its continued oil imports from Russia, stressing that the decision is essential to protect the nation’s economic security and strategic interests.
The bond between the two countries has been shaped by key historical moments — notably during the 1971 war, when the United States deployed a warship to the Indian Ocean in support of Pakistan. At the time, Russia backed India and countered Washington’s move.
Bilateral engagement was further strengthened with the signing of the “Declaration on the India-Russia Strategic Partnership” in October 2000 during President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India. Since then, cooperation has expanded across defence, security, trade, science and technology, culture, and people-to-people links.
The Annual Summit between the Indian Prime Minister and the Russian President represents the highest level of institutional dialogue, with 21 such meetings held to date. The two nations also work in close coordination at global forums, including the UN, G20, BRICS, and the SCO.
Economic and trade relations have seen significant growth, exceeding the earlier 2025 target of $30 billion. Both governments have now set a new goal of achieving $50 billion in bilateral investment.
