Modi calls Putin "friend" and strengthens relations with China - Bloomberg
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Russian dictator Vladimir Putin a "friend." In addition, the Indian government is seeking to strengthen relations with China, indicating that the South Asian country is distancing itself from the US following tariff threats from US President Donald Trump.
According to Censor.NET, this was reported by Bloomberg.
It is noted that Modi and Putin held a telephone conversation after the Russian dictator's summit with Trump in Alaska. The parties discussed issues of bilateral cooperation and agreed to remain in close contact, according to an official statement from New Delhi.
"India has consistently called for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine and supports all efforts in this direction," Modi wrote on social media, adding that he looks forward to "further exchange of views" with Putin in the coming days.
These comments reportedly came ahead of a meeting scheduled for Tuesday, August 19, between Modi and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is visiting India for the first time in three years. Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said after meeting with Wang that both countries were committed to improving relations.
"After a difficult period in our relations, both countries are now keen to move forward. Differences should not be allowed to turn into disputes or competition," Jaishankar said.
Wang noted that since "unilateral intimidation is a common phenomenon," both countries should "promote a multipolar world," according to a statement from China's Foreign Ministry. He added that China and India should "view each other as partners and opportunities, not as adversaries or threats."
China also assured India of supplies of fertilizers and rare earth minerals, an Indian official said. China's statement did not mention these assurances.
India's rapprochement with Russia and China underscores the weakening of its relations with the US under the Trump presidency. India initially welcomed the new US administration, hoping for a quick trade deal and the development of long-standing close ties with Washington, its key trading partner.
However, recently, the parties have been in dispute over the inability to reach an agreement, and relations have deteriorated further after Trump announced a 50% tariff against India, in particular for the country's purchase of Russian oil.
In turn, Trump's trade adviser Peter Navarro called India's purchases of Russian oil "opportunistic and deeply subversive" to efforts to stop Moscow's military machine. Russia and India have been long-standing partners since the Cold War, and India has maintained a "neutral position" on Russia's war against Ukraine.
At the same time, relations between India and China have begun to improve. After a bloody border clash five years ago, relations between the countries reached their lowest point. However, in recent months there have been signs of improvement in relations.
Trump's tariffs on exports from both countries, as well as threats to punish India for buying Russian oil, add urgency to the normalization of relations between Beijing and New Delhi.
When asked whether Beijing expects Putin to call Chinese leader Xi Jinping, after speaking with Modi and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio da Silva, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning replied that "the heads of state of China and Russia maintain smooth channels of communication." Mao added that there was "no information" about any immediate plans for Xi to speak with Putin.
Meanwhile, Modi is preparing to visit China and hold meetings with Xi later this month as part of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit. This could be Modi's first visit to China in seven years.
