‘Cannot Be Treated Like 77 Years Ago’: In India, Putin Slams US Tariffs, Defends Oil Trade With New Delhi

Putin India Visit: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday defended India’s continued purchase of Russian energy, challenging the US' tariff pressure and asking why India should be denied access to fuel that the United States itself buys from Moscow.

The remarks came during a two-day state visit that received an unusually warm welcome from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who personally received the Russian leader at Delhi’s Palam Air Force Station.

Putin Questions Tariff Logic

In an interview with India Today, aired shortly after his arrival, Putin questioned the US stance that India’s imports of discounted Russian crude “help finance the war”. He pointed out that the US and Europe still depend on billions of dollars worth of Russian commodities. “The United States itself still buys nuclear fuel from us. That is also fuel,” he said. “If the US has the right to buy our fuel, why shouldn’t India have the same privilege? We are ready to discuss this with President Trump.”

His comments come at a time when India’s crude imports from Russia are set to fall to a three-year low, squeezed by punitive US tariffs on Indian goods and tightening secondary sanctions that complicate payments.

Despite Western pressure, Putin maintained that the energy partnership remains stable, even if overall trade dipped slightly in the first nine months of 2025. “This is just a minor adjustment. Trade in petroleum products and crude oil is running smoothly in India,” he said, adding that Moscow expected tariffs violating WTO rules to eventually be corrected.

In the interview, Putin also described PM Modi as a leader who “does not succumb to pressure”, calling the India–Russia partnership a stabilising factor in a fast-changing global order. “India is no longer a country that can be treated as it was 77 years ago,” he said. “It is a major global player, and everyone must accept this reality.”

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100 Billion Trade By 2030

India and Russia aim to push bilateral trade to USD 100 billion by 2030. The volume surged fivefold between 2021 and 2024–25, driven largely by India’s imports of Russian crude. But with exports hit by the US-imposed 50 per cent tariff, New Delhi is seeking fresh sectors to balance the trade deficit.

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Russian Deputy Kremlin Chief of Staff Maxim Oreshkin said Moscow wants more Indian goods, including machinery, electronics, auto components, textiles, and food products. Trade Minister Piyush Goyal added that India is working to diversify “both scale and scope” of exports.