Beijing: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin offered a rare visual of diplomatic warmth on Monday, traveling together in the same car after the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, China, before heading to their scheduled bilateral meeting.
The informal gesture, seen as more than a simple logistical choice, underscored the close personal rapport between the two leaders at a time of shifting geopolitical currents. Sharing a photograph on social media platform X, PM Modi wrote, “After the proceedings at the SCO Summit venue, President Putin and I travelled together to the venue of our bilateral meeting. Conversations with him are always insightful.”
The drive together carried symbolic weight, particularly against the backdrop of rising trade tensions between India and the United States. Washington has recently intensified tariff measures affecting New Delhi’s oil purchases from Moscow, a move that has complicated India’s energy strategy. By publicly highlighting camaraderie with Putin, Modi appeared to signal India’s intent to keep its strategic ties with Russia steady despite external pressures.
India and Russia, long-standing defense and energy partners, are expected to discuss a wide-ranging agenda in their bilateral talks, including cooperation in hydrocarbons, arms supplies, and new technology ventures. With global supply chains in flux and interest rate debates dominating markets, both leaders are also likely to explore fresh economic frameworks to cushion their partnership from Western sanctions and tariffs.
Diplomatic observers note that the optics of Modi and Putin’s joint ride will be read not only in Washington but across Asia. At a forum like the SCO where China plays host and the US is absent the show of unity highlighted India’s balancing act: nurturing relations with Russia while managing its increasingly complex ties with the West.