Russian President Vladimir Putin has shed some light on his widely-discussed limousine ride with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China. While keeping the finer details under wraps, Putin revealed that their conversation touched upon his recent negotiations in Alaska, hinting at the importance of their discussion.
The unusual carpool saw the two leaders share a made-in-Russia Aurus sedan from the SCO venue to the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, where their bilateral meeting was scheduled. What was meant to be a short 15-minute drive stretched to nearly an hour, as Putin and Modi continued speaking inside the vehicle before stepping out for formal talks. Later, PM Modi took to X to remark that conversations with Putin were always insightful, acknowledging the significance of their private exchange.
The context of their discussion comes at a tense time for India’s global positioning. Washington has recently imposed heavy tariffs — 25 percent on exports, along with an additional 25 percent surcharge — in response to New Delhi’s ongoing purchase of Russian crude oil. Against this backdrop, Putin’s reference to his Alaska meeting with former US President Donald Trump added further intrigue. During that encounter, Putin recalled a brief but symbolic exchange with Trump inside the latter’s armored limousine, “the Beast,” where they engaged in light conversation in broken English.
Though no ceasefire agreement was reached during the Alaska talks, Putin claimed that certain understandings were established with Trump regarding the Ukraine conflict. By linking his dialogue with Modi to that chain of high-level conversations, Putin has left observers speculating about what was really discussed inside the Tianjin limousine and whether it could influence the course of global diplomacy, particularly in relation to the Ukraine war and India’s increasingly strained trade relations with the United States.
