Putin-Modi talks ensure uninterrupted oil supply deal.
Analysts say Putin and Modi’s warm ties signal the world that Western attempts to isolate Russia over Ukraine have failed.
New Delhi, India – A dense curtain of winter smog hung over the world’s most polluted capital, but it did little to cloud the political theatre unfolding beneath it. As Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi for the annual Russia-India summit, both he and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi appeared determined to send a message far beyond India’s borders: their partnership remains steady, resilient, and unmoved by the geopolitical storms raging around them.
The timing of the summit was significant. It came at a moment when Western pressure on Moscow has intensified, with Washington recently threatening new trade tariffs and global negotiations to halt Russia’s war in Ukraine dragging on with no clear breakthrough. Yet, instead of defensiveness or distance, the two leaders chose to project calm confidence, framing their long-standing relationship as a stabilising force in an increasingly fragmented world.
Putin went as far as likening the partnership to something “steadfast like a pole star,” praising Modi for withstanding “external pressure” and continuing to invest politically and strategically in the bilateral bond. It was a carefully crafted compliment, and one that underscored how much Moscow values New Delhi’s refusal to align blindly with Western positions.
The warmth was visible long before the formal talks began. In a gesture rarely seen in India’s diplomatic protocol, Modi personally received Putin at the Delhi airport on Thursday night. The two leaders then shared a car ride back to the prime minister’s residence—an instance of what has come to be called “limo diplomacy,” sparked by Putin’s tendency to use his imposing Aurus limousine as a rolling meeting room. The imagery was unmistakable: two leaders choosing closeness over caution.
Friday’s engagements were more conventional but equally significant. Ministers from both sides exchanged a series of memorandums of understanding covering energy, agriculture, and pharmaceuticals—three sectors central to both economic stability and political trust. Modi declared that the agreements would take the “India-Russia economic partnership to new heights” as the two nations push for their ambitious $100bn trade target under the 2030 cooperation programme.
But the headline moment belonged to Putin, who declared, “Russia is ready for uninterrupted shipments of fuel to India.” The statement was far more than a commercial assurance—it was an unmistakable signal to the West. India’s purchase of discounted Russian crude has been a point of friction with the United States, which argues that such trade indirectly finances Moscow’s war effort. Earlier this year, US President Donald Trump imposed an additional 25 percent tariff—raising the total to 50 percent—on Indian goods exported to the US due to New Delhi’s continued oil imports from Russia.
Despite these tensions, Modi and Putin appeared unfazed. Their summit, held under a haze-filled Delhi sky, seemed designed to show that while the world may be dividing into new camps, India and Russia still see each other as reliable constants—partners willing to navigate global turbulence together rather than drift apart.