Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India praised his “deep and unbreakable relationship” with President Vladimir V. Putin

of Russia after they held talks in India on Friday against the backdrop of strained ties between New Delhi and

Washington.

Mr. Modi and Mr. Putin pledged deeper cooperation in defense, trade and energy, underscoring the important strategic

ties between the two countries.

Mr. Modi lauded Mr. Putin’s “leadership and foresight” after a number of bilateral agreements were signed, and he added,

“Humanity has gone through many challenges but ties between Russia and India have been like the North Star.”

Mr. Putin’s visit to India, his first since the full invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, serves to underline that

Russia has not turned into a total global pariah despite extensive sanctions and an indictment by the International

Criminal Court. India and Russia have been friends for decades, going back to the Soviet era.

For Mr. Modi, the partnership is a way to show that India has not abandoned its policy of “strategic autonomy” and is

pursuing partners based on self-interest. He had spent years cultivating closer ties with the United States but instead

found his country entangled in a geopolitical battle involving Russia’s war on Ukraine. The Trump administration has

doubled tariffs on goods from India to 50 percent after accusing New Delhi of helping Moscow to finance the war through

oil trading. More recent Western sanctions on Russian oil companies have nearly halted India’s imports of the fuel.

After a ceremonial welcome in New Delhi on Thursday evening, where Mr. Modi greeted Mr. Putin at the airport with a

handshake and a hug, the two leaders had an informal dinner at the Indian prime minister’s official residence. On

Friday, Mr. Putin laid a wreath at the Gandhi memorial before starting one-on-one talks with Mr. Modi.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times

account, or subscribe for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber? Log in.

Want all of The Times? Subscribe.