Putin praises PM Modi’s economic record and says US attempt to curb Russian oil purchases failed | Today’s news
Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised India’s economic growth and independent foreign policy, saying Western efforts to pressure Delhi to reduce its commitments to Moscow have had no significant impact.
Speaking to leaders of leading global news agencies, including PTI, Putin said Russia remains committed to strengthening economic and strategic ties with India and expressed confidence that bilateral trade could soon reach the $100 billion mark.
Putin welcomes India’s economic growth
Highlighting India’s growing global influence, Putin described the country as one of the world’s leading economies and attributed its rapid expansion to government policies under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“India is among the world’s largest economies and is currently showing an impressive rate of economic growth,” Putin said.
He added that the country’s economic success is the result of sustained political efforts.
“India is one of the leading economies of the world which has shown the highest rate of economic growth. It is not something that comes out of the blue. It is the result of the hard work done by the Government of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said.
Putin also expressed optimism about future economic cooperation between the two countries.
“We are developing our relationship with India and will continue to do so,” he said, adding that bilateral trade is expected to reach $100 billion in the coming years.
“Pressure on India is Harmful”
Responding to Western concerns about India-Russia relations, Putin said attempts by the United States and other countries to influence India’s foreign policy had not been successful.
“The US is trying to put pressure on India to cooperate with Russia on some routes,” Putin said.
“But everyone understood that the pressure on Narendra Modi (and India), which has the largest population in the world, is harmful to international relations and to bilateral relations.”
The Russian leader indicated that such pressure was unlikely to change India’s strategic calculations.
“It doesn’t matter where that pressure comes from,” he said.
“We don’t see any negative consequences. There are no serious consequences from the state of affairs.”
The comments come amid repeated calls from Washington, which has urged India to curb purchases of Russian oil and reduce economic ties with Moscow following the Ukraine conflict.
India pursues its own national interests
Putin said Russia respects India’s approach to maintaining relations with many global powers and does not see New Delhi’s engagement with the United States as a threat to India-Russia relations.
“We are glad that India is developing its relations with all the countries it considers important for its national interests,” Putin said.
Asked whether India’s closer ties with Washington were creating friction with Moscow, he stressed that Russia considers India a reliable partner.
“India is a great nation and democracy, and Russia will continue to expand its relations with it,” he said.
“India is a reliable partner.”
Putin on Ukraine: “The task is to convince Kyiv”
On the war in Ukraine, Putin said Moscow remained open to a negotiated solution, but argued that the problem lay in convincing Kiev to accept a compromise.
“Now the task is to convince Kyiv,” he said.
Putin also rejected suggestions that the European Union could serve as a neutral mediator in peace talks.
According to him, European countries would help more if they supported a compromise rather than the continuation of military aid to Ukraine.
“The EU could help resolve the conflict by persuading Kyiv to compromise instead of supplying it with weapons,” he said.
He questions Zelensky’s legitimacy
Putin also again criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and questioned the legitimacy of his continued stay in office.
“Will they hold elections or not? We should ask ourselves these questions,” Putin said, referring to the suspension of elections under wartime conditions in Ukraine.
The Russian leader has repeatedly argued that Zelensky’s presidential mandate has expired, a claim rejected by Kiev and its Western allies.
Conflict in West Asia is a ‘global problem’
In discussing broader geopolitical tensions, Putin drew a distinction between the Ukraine conflict and instability in West Asia.
“The Ukrainian crisis is a local problem, while the Iranian problem is global,” he said.
He added that Russia supports diplomatic efforts aimed at reducing tensions in the region.
“Russia is ready to support any decision that could contribute to de-escalation in West Asia,” Putin said.
At the same time, he expressed skepticism towards countries that advocated the strategic defeat of Russia in seeking a role in the negotiations.
“How can Russia trust people who have been talking for years about the need to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia?” Putin asked.
Read also | Trump on PM Modi: “My good friend,” believes in India-US trade deal
