Russia hails India’s ‘very friendly stand’ ahead of Putin’s historic visit, praises PM Modi’s Ukraine approach

Russia has thanked India for what it called a “very friendly stand” towards Moscow and praised New Delhi’s position on the Ukraine conflict.

The remarks by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov come ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s two-day visit to India.

They also carry weight as India has continued purchasing oil and other energy supplies from Russia despite pressure from the US, which has imposed 50 percent tariffs on India, including 25 per cent linked to Russian oil purchases.

Peskov said the bilateral relationship is built on a deep historical foundation of mutual understanding, partnership, and a shared view of global affairs based on international law, the rule of law, and respect for each other’s interests.

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“This is a very important characteristic of our relationship. We are proud to have been shoulder to shoulder next to our Indian friends during their historic growth. We are very grateful to India for a very friendly stand nowadays, very friendly stand towards our country," he said.

He added that it is crucial for Moscow and New Delhi to organise bilateral trade and economic engagement in a way that remains insulated from pressure by third countries.

“We appreciate India’s position on the Ukraine conflict. We respect Prime Minister Modi’s stance and value the exchange of information between him and President Putin. Prime Minister Modi and his Indian counterparts are willing to listen to our position, which ensures mutual understanding. Unfortunately, we do not have such dialogue with Europeans — how can you understand a position if you do not engage in talks? India listens to us, India hears us, and we truly appreciate that," Peskov said.

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Acknowledging the imbalance in bilateral trade, Peskov said Russia is exploring ways to increase imports from India.

“We’re selling much more than we buy from India. We know that our Indian friends are concerned about that. By the way, we’re jointly looking for possibilities of increasing import, imports from India to Russia. So we want to buy more from India," he said.