Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that the United States is attempting to pressure India over its cooperation with Russia, but expressed confidence that New Delhi will continue to pursue an independent foreign policy and resist such efforts.
Speaking on Russia-India relations, Putin said Washington has been trying to exert pressure on India, including over its economic and strategic engagement with Moscow. However, he indicated that India has demonstrated its ability to make sovereign decisions based on its national interests.
The United States is trying to pressure India, including over cooperation with Russia, but it will resist such efforts," Putin said.
The Russian President also struck an optimistic note on the future of economic ties between the two countries, stating that bilateral trade is on track for substantial expansion in the coming years.
"I am confident that Russia and India will reach USD 100 billion in bilateral trade in the coming years," Putin said.
Trade between India and Russia has expanded significantly in recent years, driven largely by energy imports, fertilizers, coal, defence cooperation, and growing economic engagement across multiple sectors. Russia has emerged as one of India's key suppliers of crude oil following the geopolitical realignments triggered by the conflict in Ukraine.
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Putin also praised India's economic performance, describing the country as one of the world's leading economies and highlighting its strong growth trajectory.
"India is among the world's major economies and is currently demonstrating an impressive rate of economic growth," he said.
This comes just amid news that Vladimir Putin will attend the BRICS Summit scheduled to be held in New Delhi on Sept. 12-13, 2026, Russia's state-run news agency TASS reported, citing Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
“Putin will definitely take part in the BRICS 2026 Summit in New Delhi,” Peskov said, according to TASS. The visit will mark the Russian president's second trip to India in less than a year.
India is set to host the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi under its presidency of the bloc. The summit comes at a time of heightened geopolitical uncertainty, including ongoing tensions in West Asia involving the U.S. and Iran.
Putin last visited India in December 2025, when he held talks with Narendra Modi during the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit. The visit also marked the 25th anniversary of the Declaration on Strategic Partnership between the two countries.
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