New Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said India’s growing cooperation with the US does not create difficulties in Russia’s relations with New Delhi, reaffirming Moscow’s commitment to deepening its strategic partnership with India.
Speaking during a meeting with heads of international news agencies at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) 2026, Putin dismissed suggestions that India’s engagement with Washington could affect its ties with Russia.
He said Russia welcomed India’s efforts to develop relations with all countries, according to Sputnik News.
The Russian president also referred to attempts by the US to exert pressure on India over certain issues, including aspects of its cooperation with Russia. He indicated that such pressure was ineffective, arguing that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who leads a nation of around 1.5 billion people, could not be influenced through external pressure.
He further suggested that such actions could negatively affect both international and bilateral relations.
Despite geopolitical differences among major powers, Putin expressed confidence that Russia would be able to maintain productive relations with both India and the US.
Reiterating Moscow’s view of New Delhi as a dependable partner, Putin described India-Russia relations as a particularly privileged strategic partnership and said Russia intended to continue strengthening bilateral cooperation.
The Russian leader highlighted ongoing collaboration in the nuclear energy sector, noting that the two countries continue to work on the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant project. He also said Moscow expected additional joint initiatives in the peaceful use of nuclear energy in the future.
Putin expressed optimism about the growth of bilateral trade, stating that trade turnover between the two countries currently stood at around USD 58-60 billion. He said both sides possessed the necessary conditions to expand economic cooperation further and achieve the target of USD 100 billion in bilateral trade in the coming years.
His remarks come as India and Russia continue to maintain close cooperation across sectors, including energy, defence, trade, and strategic technologies, while New Delhi simultaneously expands its engagement with Western nations, including the US.
The SPIEF is being held from June 3 to June 6, bringing together policymakers, business leaders and international stakeholders to discuss global economic and strategic issues.
