‘Asked him if he…’: Vladimir Putin opens up on attention-grabbing limousine ride with PM Modi

Russian President Vladimir Putin landed in India on Thursday for a two-day visit aimed at strengthening defence and energy cooperation. During a candid interview with India Today, he spoke on trade, sanctions, and the evolving India-Russia relationship.

On India’s imports of Russian oil and minerals, Putin noted: "There is a certain decline in the trade volume in the first nine months of this year but overall it remains almost the same. Supply of Russian oil, petroleum, crude oil and other minerals remains almost on the same level as before."

He added that energy cooperation continues unaffected by external pressures, signalling stability in bilateral trade despite global sanctions.

Discussing India’s deals for S-400 and S-500 missile systems, Putin said: "It is a different kind of relationship we share. We are sharing technology with India. The level of trust between the two peoples is beyond bilateral ties."

Speaking on US President Donald Trump, he remarked: "He is acting in good faith, I presume… But it is up to us to choose which economic policy to adopt." Putin emphasised that neither he nor PM Modi yield to external pressure.

He praised the Make in India initiative and India’s development since independence, highlighting the country’s growing global significance.

The limousine ride revealed

Commenting on his car ride with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at this year’s Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting, Putin said: "My car was waiting and I asked him if he would want to hop in. That's all". He described it as an informal gesture, not a pre-arranged meeting.

Modi had accepted a lift in Putin’s AURUS limousine to the venue of their bilateral talks, with their private dialogue continuing for 50 minutes even after reaching the hotel. Modi later shared a photo on social media from the limousine, prompting commentators in Moscow to suggest this may have been one of the most important confidential discussions between the two leaders, coinciding with the US announcing tariffs on India’s oil trade with Russia.