India Stands Firm on Russia Ties Amid Trump's Tariff Threats

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reaffirmed his country's commitment to its special and privileged strategic partnership with Russia, despite US President Donald Trump's tariff threats over buying Russian oil. Modi made the comments after a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, describing him as a friend. The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to deepen their bilateral ties, with Putin scheduled to meet Trump in Alaska on August 15 for talks over the war in Ukraine.

Key Takeaways:

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to deepen India's ties with Russia, despite US President Donald Trump's tariff threats over buying Russian oil.
Modi described Russian President Vladimir Putin as a friend, following a "good and detailed" phone call on Friday.
The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further deepen the India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership.
India has defended its Russian oil purchases, calling it a move necessitated by "global market conditions".
The US tariffs on Indian goods, doubled to 50 per cent by Trump, are aimed at pressuring India over its imports of Russian oil.
Russia has expressed solidarity with India amid the pressure from Trump, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov criticizing Trump's call to "force countries to sever trading relations" with Russia as "illegitimate".
Praveen Donthi, a senior analyst for India at International Crisis Group, said Russia has been "an all-weather ally of India" and that "it's been a long and reliable friend".
Trump has described India and Russia's economies as "dead", and accused India of not caring about those killed in the conflict in Ukraine.
India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has deferred an upcoming US visit for several months due to the tariff dispute.
India's Oil Corporation has announced a deal to substantially increase oil imports from Russia after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.

Statistics:

50 per cent: The tariffs on Indian goods imposed by US President Donald Trump, set to come into force on August 27.
60 years: The duration of India-Russia diplomatic relations, according to the Russian Embassy in India.
2005: The year India and Russia established a strategic partnership.
1 July: The date of the phone call between US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
15 August: The scheduled date of the meeting between US President Trump and Russian President Putin in Alaska.
1 August: The date of India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's planned US visit, deferred due to the tariff dispute.

Sources:

Narendra Modi's post on X, 11 August 2023.
The Telegraph, "India-Russia ties 'unbreakable', says Praveen Donthi", 10 August 2023.
Kremlin Press Office, "Russia expresses solidarity with India amid US pressure", 9 August 2023.
Indian Defence Ministry, "Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to visit US in September", 10 August 2023.
US Embassy in India, "US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth holds phone call with India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh", 1 July 2023.
Russian Embassy in India, "India-Russia diplomatic relations: 60 years strong", 2023.
The Economic Times, "India's Oil Corporation to increase oil imports from Russia", 10 August 2023.