There is an old saying that a building with a strong and deep foundation is not afraid of storms. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin used this saying to describe the strong friendship between India and Russia. After their meeting, Modi said that this friendship is ready to face new challenges. Putin also said that Russia will keep supplying fuel to India without any interruption, no matter what happens. Their message was clearly directed at US President Donald Trump.
For the past few days, Trump has been saying that Modi told him India would stop buying oil from Russia. When India clarified that it makes decisions based on its own interests, Trump changed his statement and said India might take some time to stop buying Russian oil. He has also imposed a 25% tariff on India because of this oil trade. This made some people wonder whether India would give in to pressure and whether its relationship with Russia would weaken. Many people have asked me about this. My answer has always been the same: India has never bowed down to pressure, and it never will. We believe in peace, but we do not surrender to anyone. We show respect only where it is truly deserved.
The relationship between India and the Soviet Union (now Russia) was not built on economic reasons. It was a relationship of hearts, based on friendship, harmony, shared values, and cultural similarities. India has even had prime ministers who were ideologically closer to the United States, but when they examined the matter in detail through official files, they too maintained the friendship with Russia. The friendship is truly between the hearts of the two nations. When I went to Moscow to watch the World Cup football, I realized for the first time how much genuine love and respect the Russian people have for Indians. Before that, I had met Mr. Putin in the Central Hall of Parliament. During the football match in Moscow, when I waved the Indian flag and chanted slogans like “Long live India and Russia,” Putin, who was sitting below, smiled and waved back. I want to share this information with my readers: although the Soviet Union was a communist country and Russia maintained that stance, if you see their office in the Kremlin, its grandeur surpasses even the offices of the US and China; it is adorned with gold plating. Perhaps they wanted to bring grandeur to the lives of their people through communism, but now only the name of communism remains. For the younger generation of readers, I want to share that India had gained independence from Britain, but Portugal was unwilling to relinquish its rule over Goa, Daman, and Diu. In December 1961, our army attacked and liberated Goa. At that time, countries from Europe to America were against us, but the then Soviet Union supported India. It used its veto power in the United Nations in our favor. In 1971, to help Pakistan, the US sent its 7th Fleet towards the Bay of Bengal to threaten India, but Soviet submarines had already arrived there. The Soviet Union’s message to the US was clear: back off or face the consequences. India currently has the world’s fourth most powerful army, and Russia has played a significant role in achieving this. He has not only given us reliable weapons, but also shared weapons technology without any hesitation. Not only the US, but also the countries allied with it, must understand that any attempt, or rather, any scheme, to break India’s friendship with Russia will not succeed.
Yes, a conspiracy! Putin was scheduled to arrive in India on December 4th, and on December 1st, a major English newspaper in India published an article by the German Ambassador to India, Philipp Ackermann, the French Ambassador, Thierry Mathou, and the British High Commissioner, Lindy Cameron, titled “The world wants the Ukraine war to end, but Russia does not seem serious about peace.” What else would you call this but a conspiracy? But Putin understood this perfectly, and therefore, he and Narendra Modi rubbed salt in the wounds of those who were plotting against him. Modi and Putin elevated the India-Russia friendship to such a level that the world was stunned.
Narendra Modi said that taking cooperation to new heights is our shared priority. The two countries have agreed on an economic partnership plan until 2030. We will move forward with renewed energy on projects like the International North-South Transport Corridor and the Chennai-Vladivostok maritime corridor.
Meanwhile, Putin clearly stated that Russia is ready to cooperate in every way with the Make in India initiative. The two countries are trading in rubles and rupees. Putin perhaps mentioned this specifically for Trump’s benefit, stating that India and Russia, along with the BRICS countries, are working towards a more just and multipolar world. This language from Narendra Modi and Putin must have been very bitter for Trump, but breaking the friendship between the two countries is beyond Trump’s capabilities.
