Daijiworld Media Network - Moscow

Moscow, Oct 3: Russian President Vladimir Putin has strongly criticised the United States for pressuring India to cut back on its Russian crude oil imports, saying New Delhi would never “bow to such demands or allow itself to be humiliated in front of anyone”.

Speaking at the Valdai Discussion Club’s plenary session in Sochi, Putin lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “balanced and wise leader” and underlined the “special” bond between Moscow and New Delhi, rooted in decades of trust and cooperation.

Putin said India’s decision to continue importing Russian oil was driven by “purely economic calculations” and not political motives.

“If India refuses our energy supplies, it will suffer losses — estimates say around $9–10 billion. But if it does not refuse, sanctions will be imposed, and the loss will be the same. So why refuse if it also carries domestic political costs?” he asked.

Highlighting India’s independent stance, the Russian leader remarked:

“The people of a country like India will closely monitor the decisions of their leadership and will never allow any humiliation in front of anyone. I know Prime Minister Modi; he would never take such steps. India’s losses due to punitive US tariffs will be balanced by cheaper Russian crude, and it will gain prestige as a sovereign nation.”

His comments follow US President Donald Trump’s recent accusation at the UN General Assembly that India and China were “primary funders” of the Ukraine war by continuing to purchase Russian oil. The US imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian exports in August, raising the total tax to 50% as a punitive measure against New Delhi’s oil imports from Russia.

Putin warned that such higher tariffs on key trading partners could push up global prices and compel the US Federal Reserve to keep interest rates elevated.

Reflecting on Russia’s longstanding ties with India, Putin said:

“We have never had any problems or interstate tensions with India. Never. In India, they remember and value our support since the days of the Soviet Union. We appreciate that India has not forgotten this.”

Calling Modi his “friend”, Putin emphasised their “trustworthy interactions” and described the Indian leader as “balanced, wise and nationally oriented”.

Acknowledging the trade imbalance between the two countries, Putin suggested Russia could import more agricultural products and medicines from India to address the gap.

“Certain steps can be undertaken from our side for medicinal products, pharmaceuticals… We need to solve financing, logistics, and payment bottlenecks to unlock opportunities,” he said.

Putin also noted that the 15th anniversary of the declaration of the “Special Strategic Privileged Partnership” between the two nations was approaching, stressing that Moscow and New Delhi “almost always coordinate their actions” in political affairs.

The Russian leader’s remarks reaffirm the deepening strategic partnership between the two countries despite mounting Western pressure on India over its energy ties with Moscow.