New Delhi: At a time when Washington has turned up the heat on India for buying Russian crude, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday underscores New Delhi’s balancing act in a turbulent world order.The telephonic conversation coincides with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval’s visit to Moscow and follows Brazilian President Lula da Silva’s call to Modi on Thursday — all in the shadow of US President Donald Trump’s 50 per cent tariff on Indian exports.“Had a very good and detailed conversation with my friend President Putin,” Modi posted on his X handle. “I thanked him for sharing the latest developments on Ukraine. We also reviewed the progress in our bilateral agenda and reaffirmed our commitment to further deepen the India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership. I look forward to hosting President Putin in India later this year.”In a separate press release, the External Affairs Ministry stated that President Putin briefed Modi on the latest developments concerning Ukraine.“While thanking President Putin for his detailed assessment, the Prime Minister reiterated India’s consistent position for the peaceful resolution of the conflict,” the Ministry stated. “The two leaders also reviewed progress in the bilateral agenda, and reaffirmed their commitment to further deepen the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between India and Russia. Prime Minister invited President Putin to India later this year for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit.”The conversation, though seen as part of a routine diplomatic engagement, comes at a particularly sensitive juncture in global geopolitics, one that magnifies its strategic importance.The backdrop to the talks is the growing strain between New Delhi and Washington after the US imposed sanctions on India for continuing oil imports from Russia. The Joe Biden administration had earlier accepted India’s balancing act in buying discounted Russian crude following the Ukraine conflict, but under US President Donald Trump’s second term, Washington has hardened its stance. Trump’s new 50 per cent tariff on Indian exports has added another layer of economic friction, making energy cooperation with Russia a potential flashpoint in India–US relations.
Modi’s decision to engage directly with Putin signals India’s refusal to succumb entirely to US pressure on its sovereign energy choices. It also shows New Delhi’s commitment to long-term diversification of oil supplies, with Russia remaining a key partner. It is also a sign of assertion of strategic autonomy as a core principle of Indian foreign policy.India–Russia relations, while anchored in defence cooperation and energy trade, are increasingly expanding into infrastructure, nuclear energy, and technological collaboration. The Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership the two countries share underscores a mutual intent to insulate bilateral ties from short-term geopolitical turbulence. By speaking ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, China, on August 31-September 1, Modi is effectively pre-aligning positions with Putin on regional security, connectivity projects like the International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC), and possible countermeasures to US-led economic pressure.The External Affairs Ministry’s reference to Modi discussing “latest developments on Ukraine” suggests India’s continuing attempt to remain diplomatically engaged with both Moscow and Kyiv while avoiding overt alignment. The fact that Putin briefed Modi personally allows New Delhi to craft its Ukraine stance with direct, unfiltered inputs from the Kremlin. In the context of sanctions, India’s Ukraine positioning becomes even more delicate – it needs to demonstrate independence without alienating either Washington or Moscow.Modi’s conversation with Putin took place a day after the former received a telephone call from Brazilian President Lula da Silva during the course of which the two leaders agreed on a framework to strengthen cooperation in trade, technology, energy, defence, agriculture, health and people-to-people ties.“Building on these discussions, they reiterated their commitment to take India-Brazil Strategic Partnership to new heights,” the External Affairs Ministry stated in a separate press release earlier on Friday. “The two leaders exchanged views on various regional and global issues of mutual interest.”