Modi and Putin Meet on Sidelines of SCO Summit Amid Strain With Washington

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization gathering in Tianjin on Monday, underscoring deepening ties between the two countries as New Delhi faces friction with Washington over its purchases of Russian oil and a steep U.S. tariff.

The two leaders held talks after attending a key SCO session that New Delhi said focused on regional stability, bilateral trade and energy cooperation. In opening remarks, Modi described the partnership with Moscow as "special and privileged." Putin addressed Modi as a "dear friend," saying Russia and India had "maintained special relations for decades. Friendly, trusting. This is the foundation for the development of our relations in the future." He added, "These relations are absolutely non-partisan in nature, supported by the overwhelming majority of the peoples of our countries."

The meeting comes as New Delhi confronts growing diplomatic pressure from the United States tied to its energy purchases from Russia following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. U.S. measures have included a tariff that Indian officials and analysts say has complicated trade ties, contributing to a period of strained relations between the longtime U.S.-India partnership and New Delhi's historical association with Moscow.

Talks in Tianjin were billed as focused on practical areas of cooperation. Energy and trade have been longstanding pillars of the Russia-India relationship, and officials from both sides have continued negotiations even as global diplomatic alignments have shifted. Putin's foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said the Russian president plans to travel to India in December for the 23rd India-Russia annual summit, signaling continued high-level engagement.

The SCO meeting provided a forum for bilateral conversations amid wider regional discussions. The grouping of Eurasian and Central Asian nations has increasingly become a venue for Russia and India to pursue dialogue on security and economic issues without directly involving Western actors. Both Moscow and New Delhi have emphasized sovereignty in their foreign policy choices and framed their bilateral ties in terms of long-standing trust and people-to-people goodwill.

Officials from India and Russia did not announce major new agreements after the Tianjin talks. Observers said the leaders' public reaffirmations of close relations were intended to send a diplomatic message about the durability of the partnership despite external pressures. Modi and Putin are expected to continue high-level engagement as they prepare for the December summit in India.

The SCO summit in Tianjin continues through the week, with member and observer states holding sessions on security, economic cooperation and regional development. The India-Russia meeting was one of several bilateral encounters taking place on the sidelines as world leaders navigated a congested diplomatic calendar.