Sending a strong message to US President Donald Trump who has constantly forced India to reduce its cooperation with Russia, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that New Delhi would never follow ‘diktats’ from a foreign power and would continue to act as a sovereign nation.
Speaking at the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), Putin also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said sanctions, referring to those imposed by Trump on India, would only get ‘boomeranged’. He said India would continue to choose its partners based on “national interest, price, and technology advantage”.
“The US is trying to pressure India on certain issues, including some aspects of cooperation with Russia. But it should be clear to everyone by now: pressuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who leads a country of 1.5 billion people, is a futile exercise,” Putin was quoted by Russian Foreign Ministry as saying.
Putin’s strong remarks come in response to the sanctions imposed by Trump on India for procuring Russian oil. Trump had imposed a 25 per cent tariff on India and accused that its Russian oil purchase is fueling the war in Ukraine, a charge that New Delhi has repeatedly denied. Notably, the West itself has been buying Russian gas and oil, which India has consistently pointed out.
Coming to Trump tariffs, the 25 per cent levy was revoked earlier this year, though, as part of the trade agreement between India and the US.ย ย ย
Putin said India remains a reliable partner of Russia, and attempts made by the West to isolate Moscow have failed completely. He also spoke about the military cooperation between India and Russia, and said this dates back to the Soviet era, adding that these ties would keep increasing in the future.ย
“Defence cooperation between India and Russia will continue without external pressure and remain guided strictly by mutual commitments and national interests,” the Russian president was quoted by Sputnik India as saying. “Russian defence cooperation with India will not be influenced by political pressure from any third country.”
Notably, as an effort to increase the military cooperation, Putin has already said that Russia is ready to work with India over the fifth generation Sukhoi Su-57 programme. According to him, Su-57 remains one of the best fighter aircraft in the world, and Russia is ready for transfer of technology and the source code of Su-57 with India.
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