Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday reaffirmed Moscow’s commitment to strengthening its relationship with India, describing the bilateral ties as a “special privileged strategic partnership” built over decades and expressing confidence in their future trajectory.

Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin said India remains one of Russia’s most reliable partners and stressed that cooperation between the two countries would continue despite geopolitical pressures and evolving global alignments.

“We are developing our ties with India and will continue doing that, and we deem India to be a very reliable partner,” Putin said, according to Reuters.

Putin Comments On Pressure Over India-Russia Cooperation

The Russian President also referred to attempts by the United States and some Western countries to influence India’s engagement with Russia, particularly in areas of bilateral cooperation.

Without naming specific issues, Putin said efforts to pressure India over its ties with Russia would be counterproductive.

“The US are trying to put pressure on India in some matters, for example when it comes to cooperation with Russia on some tracks,” Putin said.

He added that the international community had come to recognise the importance of India’s role on the global stage and the limitations of exerting pressure on New Delhi.

“Everyone has understood that putting pressure on Narendra Modi, who leads the country with the largest population in the world, is detrimental for international relations and for bilateral relations,” Putin said.

The Russian leader maintained that such pressures had not significantly affected India-Russia relations and that Moscow remained confident about working with all stakeholders involved.

“It doesn’t matter where this pressure comes from. We don’t see any negative consequences. I think that we can come to an agreement with all the participants in this process. As of today, I would say, there are no serious repercussions emanating from the state of affairs,” he said.

‘Special Privileged Strategic Partnership’

Highlighting the historical foundations of the relationship, Putin said the India-Russia partnership was not a recent development but the result of decades of cooperation dating back to the early years of India’s independence.

“We enjoy a special privileged strategic partnership. That is how I characterise this relationship,” he said.

Putin noted that diplomatic ties between the Soviet Union and India were established in 1947 and said Moscow had consistently supported India’s development journey.

“This is something we have been working on for decades. Back in 1947, when the Soviet Union established diplomatic relations with the Indian Republic, we have been doing everything to support the establishment of a new state, a new independent state,” he said.

The Russian President also praised India’s achievements since independence, attributing the country’s progress to the efforts and talent of its people.

Praise For India’s Economic Growth

Putin described India as one of the world’s leading economies and lauded its strong growth trajectory under the leadership of PM Modi.

“India is one of the leading economies of the world that shows the highest rates of economic growth,” he said.

According to Putin, India’s economic performance is the result of sustained policy efforts and governance initiatives undertaken by the government.

“This is not something that comes out of the blue. This is a result of the hard work that the government has been doing under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi,” he added.

The remarks come at a time when India continues to maintain strategic partnerships with multiple global powers, balancing relations with Russia, the United States and other major economies while pursuing its national interests.

Addressing concerns over whether growing India-US ties could affect India-Russia relations, Putin dismissed the notion and said Moscow welcomed New Delhi’s engagement with countries across the world.

“We are glad that India is developing its relations with all the countries. It’s a great country with one and a half billion people, a large economy, and the largest democracy,” he said.

Putin added that it was natural for India to pursue economic and diplomatic partnerships that align with its national interests, underscoring Russia’s support for New Delhi’s independent foreign policy approach.

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