Russian President Vladimir Putin strongly rejected the statement made by Peter Navarro, a senior White House adviser and close aide to Donald Trump, who had claimed that the ongoing conflict in Ukraine was “Modi’s war.” Instead of accepting this interpretation, Putin placed the blame for the war on NATO and what he described as continuous “Western interference.” His comments came during the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Heads of State Council summit held in Tianjin on Monday, where he also took the opportunity to highlight and praise the constructive role being played by India and China in seeking ways to peacefully resolve the Russia–Ukraine crisis.
Putin emphasized that both China and India have been consistent in putting forward proposals aimed at peace and stability in the region. He stated that Russia values these initiatives highly and sees them as vital contributions to addressing the roots of the Ukrainian crisis. Speaking at the SCO forum, he openly credited India and China for keeping dialogue channels active at a time when tensions between Moscow and Western powers remain high.
Navarro, however, painted a different picture in his remarks during an interview with Bloomberg. He accused India of indirectly fueling Russia’s military campaign by purchasing oil at discounted rates from Moscow. According to him, the United States would be ready to slash tariffs on Indian goods by 25 percent if New Delhi stopped buying Russian oil immediately. Navarro further stressed that India’s position was crucial in deciding the future of the war, saying that “the road to peace runs, in part, through New Delhi,” even suggesting that this effectively made the war “Modi’s war.”
During his speech, Putin also referred to the outcome of his recent meeting with former US President Donald Trump in Alaska. He mentioned that the understandings reached at that summit could potentially pave the way for meaningful progress in resolving the Ukraine conflict. According to Putin, the dialogue with Washington, combined with India’s and China’s peace efforts, could create fresh momentum toward a political settlement.
Putin’s acknowledgement of India’s role was made more significant as it came just before his scheduled bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi, ahead of his visit to the SCO summit, had already spoken with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. After their conversation, Modi shared on X (formerly Twitter) that they had exchanged views on the humanitarian aspects of the conflict and on the collective global effort needed to restore peace and stability. Modi assured that India fully supports any initiative aimed at ending the crisis through peaceful means.
Following his remarks at the SCO, Putin left the venue with Prime Minister Modi. In a gesture of camaraderie, he invited Modi to ride with him in his personal car to the Ritz Carlton, where the two leaders held their bilateral discussions. This symbolic act not only underscored the warmth of the Russia–India relationship but also highlighted India’s rising role as a key player in the mediation of international conflicts.
