Modi says Russia and India stand together even in difficult times

MOSCOW/NEW DELHI (Reuters) -India's Narendra Modi told Vladimir Putin on Monday that India and Russia stood shoulder to shoulder even in difficult times after the Kremlin chief cast the Indian prime minister as his "dear friend" and gave him a lift in his armoured limousine.

China and India are the biggest purchasers of crude from Russia, the world's second largest exporter. Trump has imposed additional tariffs on India over the purchases but there is no sign that India or China are going to stop the purchases.

On the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in China's port city of Tianjin, Modi held Putin's hand as they walked towards Chinese President Xi Jinping. All three smiled as they spoke, surrounded by translators.

Later, Modi posted a picture on X of him and Putin inside the armoured Russian Aurus limousine used by the Kremlin chief. Modi told Putin at the bilateral meeting that India and Russia had stuck together even in hard times.

"Even in the most difficult situations, India and Russia have always walked shoulder to shoulder," Modi said. "Our close cooperation is important not only for the people of both countries but also for global peace, stability and prosperity."

At the bilateral meeting, Putin addressed Modi in Russian as "Dear Mr. Prime Minister, dear friend."

"Russia and India have maintained special relations for decades, friendly and trusting. This is the foundation for the development of our relations in the future," Putin said.

Modi said he welcomed recent efforts aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.

"We hope that all parties will move forward constructively. A way has to be found to end the conflict as soon as possible and establish permanent peace," Modi said.

Putin often travels with the Aurus on foreign trips and has occasionally offered rides to fellow leaders - or even gifted the vehicle, as he did to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in 2024.

(Reporting by Anton Kolodyazhnyy in Moscow and Sakshi Dayal in Writing by Maxim Rodionov; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)