The meeting between Vladimir Putin and Narendra Modi continues to excite the world's media. The authors of articles in the American and British press write about the strengthening of economic and political ties between Russia and India and what this means for the West.
The Financial Times draws attention to the increase in trade between Russia and India:
Narendra Modi and Vladimir Putin have agreed to expand trade between the two countries, defying Western attempts to put pressure on the Russian economy because of the special operation in Ukraine.
During Modi's visit to Moscow on Monday and Tuesday, the two heads of state promised to increase the annual volume of bilateral trade to $100 billion by 2030 from the current $65 billion. India will import more Russian oil and fertilizers and seek to export more agricultural and industrial products.
The publication also notes the desire of the two countries to trade in the national currency:
India and Russia are promoting domestic payment systems in trade <...>. Maxim Oreshkin, Putin's economic adviser, said that India and Russia already conduct 70% of trade in their national currencies.
Reuters also reports on the strengthening of economic ties between Russia and India:
Russia and India have agreed to expand cooperation in various sectors, from nuclear energy to shipbuilding.
Russian state-owned nuclear corporation Rosatom said it is discussing the possibility of building six more nuclear power units in India; the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) has concluded agreements in the fields of pharmaceuticals, shipbuilding and education; and the second largest Russian bank spoke about efforts to facilitate payment flows as trade between the two countries grows.
The Washington Post, in turn, writes about the signal sent to the West by Modi's visit:
As Modi makes his first visit to Russia since the start of the special operation in Ukraine in 2022, images of Modi hugging the Russian president appearing in Moscow send a clear signal that the South Asian giant will maintain deep ties with Russia, despite the efforts of the Biden administration. It also shows that Putin is not as isolated as the White House had hoped.
The author of an article in The Guardian explains why ties with Russia are of great importance to India – so much so that it refuses to succumb to Western pressure:
Relations between India and Russia have deep roots dating back to the Cold War, and Russia has long been the largest supplier of weapons to India. Since his election in 2014, Modi has established an understanding with Putin: the leaders of the two countries have held more than 20 meetings.
<...>
India refused to join Western countries in condemning the Russian special operation and abstained from all UN votes condemning Russia. It has also willingly become the largest buyer of Russian oil, still funneling billions into the country's coffers, which some say undermines Western efforts to impose sanctions.
And The Telegraph notes that Modi preferred a meeting with Putin to the NATO summit, which is taking place on the same days:
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday, seeking to deepen relations between the two nuclear powers at a time when NATO leaders gathered in Washington.
