Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said he had a "very good and detailed conversation" with Russian President Vladimir Putin and reaffirmed India's commitment to deepen the strategic partnership between both countries amid tensions following US President Donald Trump's 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods.
In a tweet, PM Modi said he looked forward to hosting Putin for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit in India later this year. He also thanked the Russian President for sharing the latest developments on Ukraine.
"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 Strategic Partnership. I look forward to hosting President Putin in India later this year," PM Modi tweeted.
In an official statement, the Prime Minister reiterated India's consistent position for a peaceful resolution of the conflict. India has called upon Russia and Ukraine to hold talks and end the conflict, now entering its fourth year.
The two leaders also reviewed progress in the bilateral agenda, and reaffirmed their commitment to further deepen the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between India and Russia, the statement said.
The phone call between PM Modi and Putin assumes significance as it came days after Trump announced the initial 25 per cent tariffs on India, citing New Delhi's imports of Russian crude. Despite India hitting back and calling out the US over its double standards on Russian oil purchases, Trump went ahead and announced another round of 25 per cent tariffs.
With the existing 25 per cent tariffs on Indian goods already in force, the newly announced additional levy is set to take effect on August 27 - unless New Delhi and Washington can strike a mutually acceptable deal before the deadline.
India has been buying cheaper Russian oil since 2022, after Western countries imposed sanctions on Moscow due to the war in Ukraine. With Russian oil capped at USD 60 per barrel and sold at a discount, it helped India save a great deal on its energy bills.
Because of these deals, Russia became India's top oil supplier. Its share in India’s crude oil imports jumped from just 1.7 per cent in FY20 to 35.1 per cent in FY25. In fact, out of 245 million metric tonnes (MMT) of crude oil imported by India in FY25, 88 MMT came from Russia alone.
India has firmly defended its oil imports from Russia, calling out the "unjustified and unreasonable" criticism by the US and European Union, and highlighting what it sees as double standards in the West's own trade with Moscow.
In a strong statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said that India's energy imports are a matter of economic necessity, driven by global market shifts following the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict. It pointed out that the US had in fact "actively encouraged such imports by India to strengthen global energy markets' stability".
On Thursday, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, who is on an official visit to Russia, confirmed that Putin will visit India later this year and dates were currently being finalised.
