India-Russia ties not aimed at harming others: Putin
Putin emphasized that India-Russia ties focus on mutual interests, unaffected by US pressure, highlighting cooperation in defense, energy, and technology.
New Delhi
India-Russia collaboration isn’t directed against anyone and the agenda of the two countries is focused on safeguarding their interests without harming others, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said against the backdrop of the US administration pressuring New Delhi to reduce purchases of Russian oil and defence equipment.
Russia is keen to ramp up cooperation with India in civil nuclear energy, defence and trade, Putin said in an interview with India Today news channel ahead of his arrival in New Delhi late on Thursday for a summit meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday. He noted the world will be watching his visit because of the rapid strides made by India in areas ranging from economic development to health care.
Putin responded to a question on US President Donald Trump’s possible reaction to India-Russia collaboration by saying: “Neither me nor Prime Minister Modi, despite certain external pressure we face, have ever… approached our collaboration to work against someone.
“President Trump has his own agenda, his own goals, whereas we focus on ours – not against anyone, but rather aimed at safeguarding…India’s and Russia’s interests. In our dealings, we cause no harm to others, and I believe leaders from other countries should appreciate this.”
Referring to India’s purchases of Russian energy, Putin said the US itself buys nuclear fuel from Russia for its reactors. “If the US has the right to buy our fuel, why shouldn’t India have the same privilege? This question deserves thorough examination, and we stand ready to discuss it, including with President Trump,” he said.
The US pressure on India to stop buying Russian oil “involves employing political instruments to influence normal competition”, Putin said. However, Russia’s energy cooperation with India remains unaffected by “fleeting political swings or the tragic events in Ukraine”.
More than 90% of India-Russia transactions are conducted in national currencies and there are solutions whenever complications arise, Putin said. “We can switch to the existing systems for exchanging electronic messages on financial transactions of the Bank of Russia and of our partners in India. These efforts are ongoing and advancing.”
Trump has hit India with a 25% punitive levy over Russian oil purchases and Washington has pushed New Delhi to cut back on buying Russian energy and military gear as part of the US administration’s efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Several key members of the Trump administration have also criticised India’s close strategic partnership with Russia.
Putin acknowledged a “certain decline in overall trade turnover during the first nine months” of 2025 but said trade in petroleum products and crude oil, and the production of petroleum products for consumers of Russian oil is “running smoothly in India”.
He said even before the Ukraine crisis, Indian and Russian business entities in the hydrocarbons sector had built a solid commercial relationship based on mutual trust. “It’s widely known that one of our leading companies acquired an oil refinery in India – this investment represented one of the largest foreign inflows into the Indian economy, totalling more than $20 billion,” he said, referring to Rosneft’s stake in a refinery in Gujarat.
“Our company has been continuously expanding operations of this refinery, working with its partners…As a result, India has become one of the major refined product suppliers to Europe – not just because it buys our oil with a discount,” he said. “Certain actors clearly dislike India’s growing role in international markets owing to its ties with Russia. Consequently, they’re seeking means to constrain India’s influence for political reasons by imposing artificial obstacles.”
Asked how India and Russia should be handling Trump and the US administration, Putin said the US President has advisors who believe implementing tariff policies involving additional duties on trade partners, ultimately benefits the US economy. “Our experts believe there are risks involved, but it is the choice of each country and its leadership to decide which economic policy to adopt. We have never engaged in such practices,” he said. “We hope that, in the end, all violations of World Trade Organisation regulations will be rectified.”
Putin noted the world order is changing, with new centres of power emerging, making it “crucial to ensure stability among major nations” to facilitate progress in bilateral and international relations. Collaborative endeavours between Russia and India “carry significant weight because they transcend our mutual ties”, he said.
Ensuring stability in key areas of engagement is crucial as it helps the fulfilment of objectives, and Russia and India have a lot of practical areas of cooperation, he said. “The world would be watching my visit – there’s no big deal here. India is an enormous country, home to one-and-a-half billion people, boasting a growing economy with a 7% annual growth rate, leading among major global powers,” he added.
“We’ve laid out an ambitious plan for our collaboration in key domains. The most critical areas are indeed forward-looking. I’m referring specifically to high technology,” Putin said, referring to space, nuclear power, shipbuilding, aviation, and artificial intelligence. India cannot be treated the way it was treated 77 years ago as it is a major global player, and Modi is “not someone who succumbs to pressure easily”, he said.
“[Modi’s] stance is unwavering and straightforward, without being confrontational. Our goal is not to provoke conflict; rather, we aim to protect our lawful rights. India does the same,” he said.
In the field of defence, Putin said India stands out as one of Russia’s reliable and privileged partners. “We see how India values this relationship too. Why? Allow me to emphasise again – we are not simply selling technology, we are sharing it, and it is a very rare thing to see in the sphere of military-technical cooperation. It speaks to the level of trust between the two countries.”
The two sides have a broad portfolio, including naval construction, rocket and missile engineering, and aircraft engineering. India operates several Russian-made aircraft and produces the T-90 tanks, while the BrahMos cruise missile – a joint venture between Russia and India – is “manufactured primarily at Indian facilities”. The two sides are now discussing cutting-edge technologies and the value of certain weapons has multiplied following combat experience, he said.
In the civil nuclear sector, Putin described Russia as a producer of the most advanced and reliable equipment for nuclear plants. State-run Rosatom builds and operates 22 nuclear units around the world, more than any other company, including the Kudankulam plant in India.
“These are large units, they operate efficiently and, I reiterate, have proven to be very useful. Russia is also the only country capable of building small nuclear power plants.
“Such plants are already operational in Russia, and we can make them either floating or ground-based. It’s an excellent option for specific regions where big power stations are not needed,” he said.
