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Putin confirms India visit: 'Looking forward to trip, meeting dear friend Modi'
Putin's India trip would be aimed at shoring up strategic and economic cooperation in the face of US President Donald Trump's 50% import duties on India.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has confirmed his India visit days after reports said he would be taking a trip in December this year. During a media interaction, Putin said he was looking forward to the visit and to meeting his "dear friend" PM Modi.
"I am looking forward to my trip in early December and I highly await my meeting with my dear friend, our trustworthy partner, PM Modi," Putin said.
It was earlier reported that Putin would visit by the end of this year for an annual summit with PM Modi. His India trip would be aimed at shoring up strategic and economic cooperation in the face of US President Donald Trump's 50% import duties on India.
Putin also reflected on the ties between India and Russia, tracing them back to the Soviet era, saying the countries have historically shared a warm relationship.
Putin reflected Trump's tariff pressure on India over doing oil trade with Russia, and lauded India for not giving into the pressure from the US. He expressed confidence that New Delhi won't end its energy reliance on Moscow.
Putin explained that whether or not India ends its energy trade with Russia, it would incur huge losses.
"Will India give up our energy resources? If so, it will incur certain losses. Estimates vary; some say it could be around $9-10 billion. But if it doesn't refuse, sanctions will be imposed, and the loss will be the same. So why refuse if it also carries domestic political costs? [Indian people] will never allow themselves to be humiliated by anyone. I know Prime Minister [Narendra] Modi, he will also not make any such decisions," Putin said.
He also said he would work towards fixing a trade imbalance with India and is planning to buy more agricultural products and medicines from India. Further talking about Trump's tariffs, Putin said, “The losses faced by India due to punitive US tariffs would be balanced by crude imports from Russia, plus it will gain prestige as a sovereign nation.”
