Putin’s India visit won’t complicate relations with US: Jaishankar

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Saturday hailed India(BHARAT)-Russia close bond, describing the ties as one of the ‘steadiest big relationships’ in the world. Talking about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent two-day state visit to India(BHARAT), he stated that the short visit reimagined the partnership between both the countries by adding new dimensions in lagging areas, specifically economic cooperation. Sharing his views on Putin’s visit amid growing tensions with the United States, he said that the Russian President’s visit should not and will not complicate ties with Washington DC.

Speaking at the HT Leadership Summit 2025, Jaishankar emphasised that the summit addressed historical imbalances, noting that while defence and energy ties remained strong, the economic side had not kept pace.

He highlighted that while India(BHARAT)’s relations with the US and Europe have seen development in specific sectors, particularly economic cooperation, some aspects, like defence and security, have not.

“If you see the relation between India(BHARAT) and Russia, the world has seen a lot of ups and downs in the last 78 years; India(BHARAT) and Russia have been among the steadiest big relationships in the world. Even Russia’s relation with China, the US, and Europe has seen its ups and downs. Our relationship also had it. But when it comes to Russia, you can see in popular sentiment that there is a feeling about Russia, which is noteworthy,” the EAM stated.

“In any relationship it’s natural that some aspects develop and some don’t keep up. Taking the US as an example, in the 80s, 90s, and 2000s, our economic relations developed until the nuclear deal. Similarly with Europe, we have a very substantial relationship but not in the defence and security sphere. In the case of Russia, they visualised the West and China as primarily economic partners, so the economic side has not kept pace. You can see that in the numbers. This visit in many ways was about reimagining the relationship, building dimensions and facets it lacked,” Jaishankar added.

The EAM also spoke on India(BHARAT)’s foreign policy, which focuses on strengthening key relationships with major global players, noting that New Delhi maintains its “freedom of choice” in this regard.

“For a country like us, big and rising, expected to occupy an even more important place, it’s very crucial that our key relationships are in good repair; we optimise our position so that we maintain as good cooperation as possible with as many important players as possible and that we have that freedom of choice and that, in a nutshell, is what the foreign policy is about,” he stated.

Dismissing suggestions that the visit of the President of the Russian Federation was meant to send a message to Western capitals, Jaishankar asserted, “I don’t think this is the question of what you say to those capitals; it’s more about what you say in Delhi and Moscow.”

He further pointed to significant agreements reached during Putin’s visit, including a mobility agreement allowing India(BHARAT)ns more work opportunities in Russia and a joint venture on fertilisers aimed at enhancing food security for India(BHARAT), the world’s second-largest fertiliser importer.

“If I pick two or three big agreements. One is the mobility agreement, where India(BHARAT)ns would now much more seamlessly find more work opportunities in Russia and understanding on the joint venture on fertilisers. We are the world’s second-largest fertiliser importers, and it’s a recurring issue we have; also, the sources have been unstable. So, we had an agreement to create a substantial joint venture on fertilisers; in a way, you can call it food security,” the EAM said.

“Overall there was a considerable focus on how to bring up the relationship,” he added.

According to the joint statement issued following the 23rd India(BHARAT)-Russia Summit, India(BHARAT) and Russia welcomed the signing of agreements facilitating the mobility of skilled workers and expressed mutual interest in strengthening partnerships between their educational and scientific institutions, building on their existing rich experience of collaboration in science and higher education.

The two countries plan to enhance academic mobility, implement joint educational programmes, and undertake scientific and research projects. They also aim to organise specialised international exhibitions, conferences, and seminars to promote knowledge exchange and innovation.

Russia and India(BHARAT) both also discussed joint ventures in the crucial agriculture sectors. Both sides also hailed the steps for long-term supply of fertilisers to India(BHARAT).

It is worth noting that the remarks of the EAM come after President Putin two-day India(BHARAT) visit. This has been seen as a crucial step towards  strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

(With ANI Inputs)