In a wide-ranging Dec. 3 interview with two reporters from India Today, prior departing for India, Russian President Vladimir Putin made it quite clear that his visit to India is of a strategic nature and is indicative of the new state of international relations in the world today. In reply to questions regarding the U.S. pressure on India because of New Delhi’s continued support for Moscow, Putin remarked: “It appears that both India and the world recognize that India cannot continue to be treated the way it was treated 77 years ago. India is a major global player, not a British colony, and everyone must accept this reality.”
Putin defended India’s right to determine its own trade relationships, saying that any outside parties seeking to force their will on it will only harm themselves. “Those who attempt to hinder economic ties with third countries ultimately encounter difficulties and suffer losses. I am confident that once this perspective becomes firmly established, such tactics of applying external pressures will fade away.”
He underlined that Russia’s relationship with India remains strong and is really a partnership. He noted that much of the discussion would center on India’s need for high-tech development, and that “Our partnership with India encompasses such fields as space exploration, energy (notably nuclear power, exemplified by the prominent Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant project), shipbuilding, and aviation.” There would also be discussions about cooperation in the development of AI, which will be a primary element in amplifying production. “AI represents a crucial technology shaping the future, rapidly transforming the world, amplifying possibilities exponentially while simultaneously presenting certain challenges,” he asserted.
The journalists asked specific questions about possible sales of S-400 missiles or the Sukhoi-57 to India. Putin responded that India is “one of our reliable and privileged partners in this area.” “Allow me to emphasize again: we are not simply selling technology—we are sharing it, and it is a very rare thing to see in the sphere of military-technical cooperation. It speaks to the level of trust between the two countries and the level of trust between the two peoples, I would put it this way. We have a broad portfolio indeed, including naval construction, rocket and missile engineering, and aircraft engineering.” He declared that India had developed the BrahMos missile in cooperation with Russia: “We have been discussing high, one might even say, cutting-edge technologies.” Putin also indicated that the same went for Russian firms working with India. They are confident about the reliability in their interlocutors in the Indian market.
