Putin met with Modi in India: thanked him for his attention to peace efforts regarding Russia's war against Ukraine and spoke about negotiations with the United States
Kyiv • UNN
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kremlin head Vladimir Putin met in New Delhi, discussing peace efforts regarding Russia's war against Ukraine and expanding economic cooperation. Agreements on mobility, supplies of Indian products, and the leasing of a submarine are expected.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin held a bilateral meeting in New Delhi, before which Putin thanked Modi for his attention to peace efforts regarding Russia's war against Ukraine and told him about talks with the United States, Sky News reports, writes UNN.
Details
Putin appeared with Modi before their meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi.
Putin "thanked Modi for his attention to peace efforts regarding the war in Ukraine and said that he had informed the Indian leader about recent talks with the United States," the publication writes.
Putin also discussed relations between the two countries, adding: "Our relations are deeply rooted in history, but it is not words that are important, but substance."
Modi, as indicated, told Putin: "The world must return to peace."
Modi added that New Delhi supports all efforts aimed at achieving peace and said that "we must all strive for peace together."
As Bloomberg writes, the meeting takes place against the backdrop of both sides' aspirations to deepen economic cooperation amid pressure from US President Donald Trump.
This meeting on Friday came a day after Putin's arrival in India - his first visit to the country since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine - and "is expected to demonstrate the long-standing partnership between the two countries, which dates back to the Cold War." These ties have focused on defense, but Modi and Putin want to expand cooperation to include deeper trade, migration, and economic ties, the publication notes.
During the two-day visit, India and Russia are expected to finalize a mobility agreement that will allow Indian professionals to come to Russia, which will be the first such case for the two countries.
An agreement is also expected on the supply of Indian seafood and agricultural products to Russia, exports of which have suffered after Trump's 50% tariffs on Indian goods, which came into effect on August 1.
Putin is also expected to showcase oil and defense ties, with officials working to finalize a $2 billion deal for India to lease a submarine from Russia, Bloomberg reports.
India's share of Russian imports is now less than 2%. New Delhi and Moscow intend to increase trade to $100 billion by the end of the decade.
The US doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50% to punish New Delhi for buying Russian oil and forced India to buy more American weapons. Despite this pressure, the Modi government continues trade talks with the Trump administration, and a negotiating team from Washington is expected in India next week.
The expansion of ties comes despite harsh criticism from both the US and the EU, and the meeting underscored India's desire to maintain warm ties with traditional partners and seek alternative markets to offset US tariffs, the publication notes.
From direct purchases of military weapons, India and Russia are increasingly moving to joint development and production of weapons, collectively designing and manufacturing missiles and guns, the publication writes.