EAM S. Jaishankar Meets Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow Amid India-Russia Strategic Dialogue

Moscow: External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr. S Jaishankar on Thursday met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow as part of his three-day visit to Russia.  

The high-profile meeting took place against the backdrop of the US imposing steep 50% tariffs on Indian goods, a move the Trump administration linked to India’s purchase of Russian crude oil, arguing that such trade indirectly funds Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

Earlier in the day, EAM S Jaishankar held wide-ranging bilateral discussions with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov before proceeding to the Kremlin to meet President Putin.

Strengthening Bilateral Relations

Speaking alongside Sergei Lavrov, Dr. Jaishankar underlined that the visit provided an important opportunity to review both political ties and practical cooperation. “Today's meeting gives an occasion to discuss our political relations as well and also our bilateral ties. ..We now prepare for the annual summit at the end of the year. Our leaders have always given us guidance to take forward our special strategic relationship," he said.

He further added that the discussions covered a broad spectrum of issues. “We discussed a lot of issues in our bilateral cooperation and found a lot of solutions as well. I want to take bilateral discussions forward so that we have the maximum outcomes when we have the annual summit... The global context for our meeting is provided by the evolving geopolitical situation, shifting economic trade landscape, and our shared goal is to maximise our complementarity,” he noted.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov echoed these sentiments, stressing the importance of the dialogue against the backdrop of global realignments. “We define our relations as a special strategic partnership, and this was defined by our leaders, and I hope that we fully justify these links at the level of links… We see a special importance in our international relations as we see the emergence of a new architecture of international relations,” Lavrov said during the joint press briefing.

He reiterated Moscow’s position that the India-Russia relationship remains central to the changing international order.

At the joint media interaction, Jaishankar highlighted the long-standing nature of India-Russia relations, framing them as resilient and consistent through decades of geopolitical upheaval. "India and Russia have been the steadiest of the major relationships in the world after the Second World War..." he said, pointing to the continuity and trust underpinning bilateral ties.

EAM S Jaishankar ‘Perplexed’ at Logic of US Tariffs

One of the sharpest moments of the briefing came when Jaishankar addressed a question on the recent US tariff hikes on Indian goods. Washington has linked the punitive trade measures to New Delhi’s continued energy imports from Russia.

EAM S Jaishankar expressed clear bewilderment while addressing a question on the additional US tariff hikes on Indian goods.. “We are not the biggest purchasers of Russian oil; that is China. We are not the largest purchasers of LNG; that is the European Union. We are not the country with the largest trade surge with Russia since 2022; I think there are some countries to the south,” he remarked.

He went on to underscore that India’s energy purchases had been conducted in a manner consistent with global stability. “We are a country where the Americans have, for the last few years, encouraged us to stabilize the global energy market, including by purchasing oil from Russia. Incidentally, we also buy oil from the US, and that amount has increased. So, honestly, we are very perplexed by the logic of the argument you (the media) referenced,” he added.

The meetings in Moscow are seen as laying the groundwork for the upcoming annual India-Russia summit later this year. With both sides stressing the “special and strategic” character of the partnership, the visit underscores India’s intent to balance global geopolitical pressures while deepening ties with Moscow.

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