Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin rode in the same car to the location of their meeting after the SCO Summit in Tianjin, China.
This was a clear visual message during a time when US President Donald Trump was imposing tariffs on India's oil trade with Russia. After the events at the SCO Summit location, President Putin and I went together to the place where our bilateral meeting was held.
Prime Minister Modi said in a post on X that conversations with him are always enlightening, and he shared a photo of himself with the Russian leader. The meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Putin is important because it happens while the United States is openly criticising India's oil trade with Russia. President Donald Trump is accusing New Delhi of helping fund Putin's war in Ukraine.
Last month, he introduced 50 pc tariffs on Indian goods going to the US, which is the highest rate in Asia, as a way to punish India for its energy purchases. Earlier, Prime Minister Modi met with President Putin at the Tianjin summit, and the Russian leader talked about India's role in helping bring peace to Ukraine.
Putin said he thanks China and India for their work in trying to fix the problem in Ukraine. He pointed out that Asian countries are becoming more involved in solving conflicts, which used to be mostly handled by Western countries.
This is the first time PM Modi and President Putin have met in person since October 2024, when they met during the BRICS summit in Kazan. Prime Minister Modi recently spoke on a call with Putin following the Russian leader's summit with Trump in Alaska, aiming to work towards a peace agreement.
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