Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he had “a very good” conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, during which they discussed Ukraine and ways to strengthen bilateral ties.
“Had a very good and detailed conversation with my friend President Putin. I thanked him for sharing the latest developments on Ukraine,” Modi posted on social media. “I look forward to hosting President Putin in India later this year.”
The telephone call between the two leaders came after US President Donald Trump imposed punishing tariffs on India.
Trump on Wednesday announced he would double levies on Indian goods to 50 percent over New Delhi’s purchasing of Russian oil, a key revenue source for Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
A first salvo of 25 percent tariffs on Indian goods took effect on Thursday, with the additional 25 percent set to apply in three weeks.
Buying Russian oil saved India billions of dollars on import costs, keeping domestic fuel prices relatively stable.
Russia is also one of India’s top arms suppliers and the warm ties between the two countries date back to the Soviet era.
The Kremlin has slammed calls to “force countries to sever trading relations” with Russia as “illegitimate”, without directly mentioning Trump.
On Thursday, Putin met India’s national security advisor Ajit Doval in Moscow.
The Kremlin has also said that a summit on Ukraine between Trump and Putin was set for the “coming days”.
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