Modi 'not one to give in to pressure,' says Putin ahead of India visit amid US' tariff pressure on New Delhi

- It's Putin's 1st visit to India since 2021

NEW DELHI/MOSCOW

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi “is not one to give in to pressure,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said amid the US' tariff pressure on New Delhi, ahead of his state visit to the South Asian nation on Thursday.

Putin made the remarks during an interview with the New Delhi-based broadcaster India Today in response to a question about whether the US was “arm-twisting” India with tariffs.

The Russian president also said he was “very happy” to be travelling to meet his “friend, Prime Minister Modi,” adding that the “world has seen India’s steadfast stance and that the nation can take pride in its leadership.”

Washington has imposed a 50% tariff on Indian imports, partly for purchasing Russian oil amid the war in Ukraine.

US President Donald Trump had claimed that Modi assured him that New Delhi would halt purchases of Russian crude oil.

Russia is currently India’s largest oil supplier, though volumes have declined following US sanctions on Russian firms, and Kremlin has admitted Indian imports may decline for only “a brief period.”

Sanctions 'backfire,' warns Putin

Commenting on sanctions, Putin said Western states must realize that attempts to impose economic pressure on sovereign countries ultimately backfire on the initiators themselves.

Those who try to restrict something in the economic sphere of third countries eventually face problems and losses themselves, he said.

"I think that when this understanding and awareness comes fully, then this practice of external pressure will cease," Putin said.

India, under Modi, vividly demonstrates that it can no longer be treated as a colony, said the Russian president.

"The head of the Indian government, Prime Minister Modi, is not the kind of person who would sacrifice the interests of his country," Putin said, adding: "The Indian people can be proud of their leader."

Putin emphasized: "We (with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi) have a lot to discuss because cooperation with India is very extensive. And I am not even talking about the history of our relations, because the history of our relations has a uniquely special character."

Russia and India are working on economic cooperation despite sanctions pressure, he said, adding that 90% of settlements between the two countries are already conducted in national currencies.

Multi-layered security in New Delhi

According to the Indian Foreign Ministry, Putin is expected to arrive in the capital on Thursday at around 6.30 pm local time (1300GMT).

The Indian capital New Delhi is “on high alert” amid a multi-layered security grid in wake of Putin’s state visit, Press Trust of India reported.

“Over 5,000 police personnel will be deployed to maintain strict vigil," it added.

After Putin's arrival in New Delhi, Modi will host the Russian president for a private dinner, the report said.

The main day of the event is on Friday, when Putin will receive a ceremonial reception at the presidential house, before he co-chairs with Modi the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit.

It is Putin's first visit to India since 2021.

Putin and Modi are also expected to address a business event, as Moscow and New Delhi aim for $100 billion in bilateral trade by 2030.

The bilateral trade reached a record $68.7 billion last year – nearly six times higher than pre-pandemic levels.

The Russian president will also hold talks with his Indian counterpart Droupadi Murmu, before his departure late Friday evening local time.

'What's great about them (G7)'

Asked if Russia would like to return to the Group of Eight (G8), which since 2014 has resumed functioning in the format of the "Group of Seven," he said they had no such intentions.

"It is unclear why the countries in the G7 are called 'great seven.' What's so great about them?" the Russian president asked.

He stressed that, in purchasing power parity terms, the weight of several G7 countries is far lower compared to, for example, India.

Putin argued that although G7 countries have a high-tech economy with a "powerful base," "their share in the global economy decreases annually."