Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin today, Monday, 1 September 2025, at the SCO Summit in China. The bilateral talks came at a crucial moment, as India faces mounting pressure from the United States under President Donald Trump’s second term to scale down crude oil imports from Russia.
Modi shared a brief message on X (formerly Twitter), writing: “Always a delight to meet President Putin!”—a post that underlined the friendly nature of the ties between New Delhi and Moscow.
Always a delight to meet President Putin! pic.twitter.com/XtDSyWEmtw
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 1, 2025
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had earlier confirmed that Modi would first speak at the SCO plenary session before engaging in bilateral discussions with Putin. “The Prime Minister will outline India’s approach to fostering regional cooperation under the SCO umbrella. After this engagement, he is scheduled to have a bilateral meeting with President Vladimir Putin of Russia, following which he will depart for India,” Misri explained during a press briefing in Tianjin on Sunday.
