Putin vows continued fuel, fertiliser supplies to India amid West Asia crisis

Russian President Vladimir Putin has assured India that Moscow will continue supplying energy and fertilisers despite disruptions linked to the conflict in West Asia. The assurance came during a meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Moscow, where the two sides also discussed expanding economic ties.

Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are expected to meet at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Kyrgyzstan this month and again at the Brics Summit in New Delhi in September.

Russia promises fertiliser supplies

Putin said bilateral trade had risen this year after a slight decline in 2025 and highlighted Russia's increased fertiliser supplies to India.

“One of these issues is not only energy – it is, of course, the supply of fertilisers…We are doing everything to resolve this issue for Indian farmers, for agriculture. We are increasing these supplies and are ready to do so further.”

He also said the two countries were making progress in nuclear energy and high-tech cooperation.

Jaishankar handed Putin a personal message from Modi and said the Prime Minister looked forward to meeting him at the SCO summit.

“Prime Minister Modi looks forward to meeting you at the SCO Summit and also hopes that you will have the opportunity to come to the Brics Summit and host this annual summit,” Jaishankar was quoted as saying by TASS.

India flags widening trade gap

While energy and fertilisers remain central to the partnership, India also raised concerns over the growing trade imbalance.

Jaishankar said goods trade had increased more than fourfold, from $13 billion in 2021-22 to nearly $60 billion in 2025-26. Over the same period, the trade deficit widened from $6.6 billion to more than $50 billion.

“Addressing this imbalance is today one of our foremost priorities. Progress on market access, removal of tariff and non-tariff barriers, strengthening payment mechanisms and stronger business-to-business engagement will be critical for addressing this imbalance and achieving our shared objective of $100 billion in bilateral trade by 2030,” Jaishankar said.

Focus on energy, nuclear and technology

The discussions also covered investments, connectivity, nuclear energy, technology, space and professional mobility. Russia's involvement in the Kudankulam nuclear plant was cited as a possible base for expanding cooperation, including localisation of equipment and nuclear fuel production.

Moscow also proposed deeper cooperation in rare earths, space exploration and high-speed rail. The prototype of the jointly developed Vande Bharat electric train is expected to be assembled by the end of the year.

“Within this framework, the flagship project in transport engineering — the development and production of the Vande Bharat electric trains — is systematically developing,” Manturov said.

Russia remains among India's top two energy suppliers, with both sides also exploring oil, gas and coal cooperation and greater Indian investment in Russia's energy sector.