ST PETERSBURG, (Russia): Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday (June 5) described India as one of Russia’s closest partners, saying the relationship between the two countries is built on trust and has remained unaffected by changing global political circumstances.
Speaking at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin said Moscow’s engagement with New Delhi goes beyond trade and rests on decades of cooperation across strategic sectors, including defence, technology and research.
His remarks come at a time when geopolitical tensions, supply chain concerns and global sanctions continue to reshape international partnerships. Against that backdrop, Putin underscored that Russia’s ties with India remain steady and driven by mutual national interests rather than external political pressures.
“We have had very good, trust-based, brotherly relations in all senses of the word,” Putin said. He also praised India’s talent pool, particularly in technology and software development.
“We know how talented the Indian people are, how well educated. Indians have great competencies, which have achieved world renown, especially in coding and in other fields,” he said.
Referring to recent disruptions linked to developments around the Strait of Hormuz, Putin said Russian companies had stepped up efforts to support supplies to India and other Asian markets.
According to him, both Russian and Indian businesses made the right decision by pursuing closer cooperation, adding that Russia was increasing supplies and continuing to share technological solutions with its partners.
“We have had very good, trust-based, brotherly relations in all senses of the word. We know how talented the Indian people are, how well educated. Indians have great competencies, which have achieved world renown, especially in coding and in other fields…Prime Minister Modi had to introduce certain restrictions here, asking people not to use personal cars, not to travel long distances, due to what is happening in the Strait of Hormuz…I think our companies did the right thing and the Indian counterparts did the right thing when they decided to embark on this path of close cooperation, because right now we are trying to lend a helping hand and give our shoulder, increasing supplies to the Indian market and to Asia in general, and we certainly keep sharing our technological solutions.”
Putin says Russia honours commitments to India
The Russian President stressed that Moscow’s cooperation with India is not influenced by political considerations and said Russia remains committed to agreements made with its partners.
“Our cooperation with India, just like with all other partners of ours, is not subject to the political environment. We can’t be dictated to not deliver that to India. Nobody can dictate to us and nobody would even try to do that,” Putin said.
He added that Russia would continue to honour its commitments, particularly with countries it considers trusted partners.
“We will always stand true to commitments given to our partners, especially partners like India,” he said.
Defence ties remain a key pillar of the relationship
Highlighting defence cooperation, Putin said military and technical collaboration has long been one of the strongest pillars of India-Russia relations.
He noted that a substantial portion of India’s military inventory is based on Russian-origin equipment, a partnership that dates back to the Soviet era.
“India and we have a very good, long-standing relationship in terms of military and technical cooperation interaction,” he said.
Putin also referred to joint projects such as the BrahMos missile programme, saying experts from both countries have worked together on research and development rather than limiting engagement to buyer-seller transactions.
He added that India has traditionally procured aircraft and other defence platforms from Russia, reflecting the depth of the strategic partnership.
“A significant portion of the armed forces of India is equipped with Russian equipment. This is a tradition that dates back to the Soviet times. Our relations with the Indian friends are specific, thanks to our mutual trust. We concentrate not just on trade, buying and selling, but also on joint research and development. Indian and Russian experts have been working on the design of the mid-range missile BrahMos. India has traditionally been purchasing aircraft from us…”
Putin praises India’s sovereign decision-making
The Russian President also praised India’s independent foreign policy approach and said New Delhi makes decisions based on its own national priorities.
“India always acts as a sovereign country,” Putin said, while commending Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.
He further stated that India remains free to choose products and partnerships that best serve its interests, taking into account factors such as technology, applicability and value.
He said India has always prioritised its national interests while making key decisions on international partnerships, and that approach continues to define its engagement with the world.
“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, any potential threats of sanctions would boomerang immediately. We have been in close talks with Prime Minister Modi for a long while… All the sanctions have been eliminated and the relationship between the USA and India is developing successfully, as I understand… India is free to choose the products that they consider to be most up to date, most applicable for them and obviously offering the best price-quality ratio. India is always guided by its national interests…,” said Putin. - The Statesman/ANN
