The BRICS TimesThe bilateral meeting followed a symbolic car ride together after the SCO summit.
In their first face-to-face engagement since Washington imposed additional tariffs on India for buying Russian crude, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin met on Monday and reaffirmed cooperation across trade, finance, and energy.
The bilateral talks followed an unusual moment of personal diplomacy. After the SCO summit proceedings, Putin invited Modi into his car for the ride to their meeting venue. Sources said the Russian leader waited nearly ten minutes for Modi before they set off and that both leaders spent another 45 minutes talking inside the car even after reaching the hotel. Their formal discussions, attended by senior officials, then stretched for over an hour—making it one of Modi’s longest meetings at the margins of a multilateral summit.
Sharing a photograph of the ride on X, Modi wrote: “After the proceedings at the SCO Summit venue, President Putin and I travelled together to the venue of our bilateral meeting. Conversations with him are always insightful.”
During the dialogue, Modi welcomed recent diplomatic moves toward ending the Ukraine war and expressed hope that all parties would move forward “constructively.” Referring to conversations among U.S. President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Putin, he said: “A way must be found to end this conflict and establish lasting peace. This is the aspiration of the entire humanity.”
The Prime Minister also confirmed that Putin would visit India in December for the 23rd annual summit. “We’ve been in constant touch. There have also been many high-level meetings between the two sides regularly. 140 crore Indians are eagerly waiting to welcome you,” Modi said.
On trade, while India did not directly address the U.S. tariff issue in its statement, Modi stressed the need to deepen cooperation across sectors. Putin, for his part, noted that “trade and economic ties as a whole are showing positive dynamics.” Modi underlined the historic strength of the partnership, saying, “India and Russia have always stood shoulder-to-shoulder even in the most difficult situations. Our close cooperation is important not only for our peoples, but also for global peace, stability, and prosperity.”
Putin marked the 15th anniversary of the elevation of ties to a “special and privileged strategic partnership,” affirming: “Our multifaceted Russian-Indian ties continue to develop actively. Tourist exchanges are growing, economic cooperation is expanding, and we are working together at the UN, BRICS, the G20, and the SCO.” He added that relations between the two nations “are entirely above party politics and enjoy broad public support.”
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), discussions covered energy, finance, fertilizers, space, culture, and security, as well as regional and global issues. Modi reiterated India’s backing for initiatives aimed at resolving the Ukraine conflict, calling for urgent steps toward a ceasefire and durable peace. The MEA confirmed that both leaders “expressed satisfaction with the sustained growth in bilateral ties” and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership.
Earlier, Modi and Putin were seen informally conversing with Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of the SCO leaders’ session. Modi later posted: “Always a delight to meet President Putin.” The car ride after the summit was not unprecedented; the two had also traveled together during the 2018 informal summit in Sochi.
The meeting assumes significance amid U.S. disapproval of India’s Russian oil purchases. Trump has not only imposed a 25% tariff but also accused New Delhi of undermining U.S. interests. His trade advisor, Peter Navarro, controversially dubbed the conflict “Modi’s war,” claiming “the road to peace runs, at least partly, through New Delhi.” India has pushed back, stressing its strategic autonomy. Ambassador Vinay Kumar told Russia’s TASS news agency that Indian companies “will continue buying from wherever they get the best deal.”
Despite U.S. pressure, Modi and Putin have remained in close contact. Putin spoke with Modi twice in August—before and after his Alaska meeting with Trump—updating him on the talks. Meanwhile, as Modi arrived in Tianjin for the SCO summit, Zelenskyy also reached out, urging India to help push for an immediate ceasefire and emphasizing that “the end of this war must begin with stopping the fighting.”
Modi has consistently signaled India’s willingness to support peace efforts. On his visits to Moscow and Kyiv last year, he maintained that “solutions cannot be found on the battlefield” and reiterated New Delhi’s readiness to play a constructive role in ending the war.
