Moscow : Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday said any attempt to pressure India through sanctions would boomerang under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. Putin said India has consistently pursued policies guided by its national interests and would continue to do so regardless of external pressure over its ties with Russia.
Putin revealed that Russia had earlier proposed a joint programme involving the Su-57 fighter aircraft with India but eventually developed the aircraft independently after the collaboration did not materialise. “Su-57 is a very good aircraft, probably the most modern one, the most up-to-date in the world as of now,” Putin said. “We offered that we should do that together. Well, it didn’t work out, but we did it on our own, and we stand ready to sell Su-57.”
Putin described India-Russia defence cooperation as unique because it extends beyond simple buyer-seller transactions. “Our relations with Indian friends are specific in that, thanks to our mutual trust, we concentrate not just on trade, not just on buying and selling,” he said. As an example, Putin pointed to the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile programme, which was jointly developed by Indian and Russian experts and has become one of the most successful defence collaborations between the two countries.
Asked whether India could face sanctions pressure from the United States if it were to acquire Russian defence systems such as the Su-57 or the S-500 air defence platform, Putin said New Delhi had consistently pursued an independent foreign policy guided by national interests. “No matter what people say, India has always been acting in this manner.” In a notable remark, Putin referred to the period when Modi was denied a US visa before becoming prime minister, contrasting it with the strong ties India and the United States maintain today.
“Now he’s the Prime Minister, all the sanctions have been eliminated, and the relationship between the USA and India are developing successfully.” Putin added that he was confident Modi had not forgotten those experiences and suggested they demonstrated India’s ability to navigate changing geopolitical circumstances.
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