Russia India ties: Putin says cooperation will expand despite US pressure

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia wanted to deepen long-standing ties with India. Putin said efforts by the United States to push India away from Russia would fail. Putin also said such pressure could harm global and bilateral relations. The comments came during a meeting with leaders of major international news agencies.

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Putin described India as a fast-growing major economy with an independent foreign policy. Putin said Russia aimed to expand economic cooperation with India. Putin also said trade between the two countries could reach USD 100 billion in coming years. Putin linked this outlook to India’s current economic performance.

India-Russia relations and US pressure

Putin said Washington was trying to influence India’s cooperation with Russia in some areas. "The US is trying to put pressure on India when it comes to cooperation with Russia on some tracks. But everyone has understood that putting pressure on Narendra Modi and India that has the largest population in the world, is detrimental for international relations and for bilateral relations,\" Putin said.

Putin said Russia had not faced any real fallout from Western efforts aimed at India. \"It doesnt matter where this pressure comes from,\" Putin said, adding \"We dont see any negative consequences. There are no serious repercussions emanating from the state of affairs. We are developing our ties with India and will continue doing that,\" Putin said.

Putin’s remarks came as some Western capitals showed concern about India-Russia engagement. The US has repeatedly urged India to reduce purchases of Russian crude oil. Putin suggested such external pressure could backfire. Putin said Russia remained focused on building ties with India.

India-Russia relations and economic growth

Putin praised India’s economic results while answering a question from s CEO and Editor-in-Chief Vijay Joshi. \"India is one of the leading economies of the world that has showed the highest rate of economic growth. This is not something that comes out of the blue. This is result of the hardwork that the government of India has been doing under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,\" Putin said.

Putin said India would keep placing national interests first in foreign policy choices. Putin added that India’s engagement with the United States did not weaken India’s ties with Russia. \"We are glad that India is developing its relations with all countries it thinks important for its national interests,\" Putin said.

Putin said Russia viewed India as a dependable partner and saw no risks from India’s other relationships. Putin described India as a major democracy and said Russia would keep widening cooperation. Putin also said India’s outreach to Washington did not create lasting friction for Moscow.

Ukraine conflict and India-Russia relations in wider diplomacy

Putin said he was open to settling the conflict in Ukraine and said Kyiv needed persuading. Putin rejected the idea of the European Union acting as a mediator. Putin said the EU could help by urging compromise rather than sending weapons. Putin also called the Ukraine crisis a local issue.

Putin compared the Ukraine war with tensions involving Iran, calling the Iran issue global. \"How can Russia trust people who have been harping about the need to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia for years?\" Putin said. Putin also said Russia was ready to back any decision that helped de-escalate in West Asia.

Putin questioned the legitimacy of Volodymyr Zelenskyy as president, saying the mandate had ended. \"Will they hold elections or not? We should ask these questions,\" Putin said. Putin’s broader comments were delivered alongside repeated statements on expanding India-Russia cooperation and resisting outside pressure.

With inputs from PTI