‘India listens, understands us’: Russia says there’s no dialogue with the Europeans

India listens to us and tries to understand us, which is not the case with the Europeans, said Russia. The Kremlin, through spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, said that Moscow doesn’t have any dialogue with the Europeans, which has made matters much more complicated.

Ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India, Peskov said, “What we like is that Prime Minister Modi and our Indian counterparts want to listen to our position, they want to understand our position and it gives us a possibility to explain ourselves. This ensures mutual understanding. This is of very great importance. For example, we do not speak with the Europeans, we don’t have a dialogue…even a word…so how can you learn your counterpart’s position on a so terribly complicated problem when you don’t speak to each other? This is the greatest problem we have! But with India it is vice-versa.”

Additionally, Peskov also recognised India's concerns over a widening trade deficit. India's annual imports from Russia are valued at around $65 billion, while Russian imports from India are approximately $5 billion. He stated, "There is a real imbalance in our trade. We are aware of that. We are selling much more than we buy from India."

He further added, "We know that our Indian friends are concerned about that. We are jointly looking at the possibilities of increasing imports from India. We want to buy more from India."

The Kremlin spokesperson outlined that Russia is actively seeking to resolve what he referred to as "the problem" of the trade imbalance by expanding opportunities for Indian exports. Moscow is also proposing to establish an "architecture" designed to shield its trade with India from the effects of sanctions and third-party influence. "We should create an architecture of our relationship that must be free of any influence coming from any third country," he said.

Russia's call for an independent structure to support bilateral trade comes at a time when India is facing increased tariffs from the United States, including a 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods and an additional 25 per cent levy on Indian procurement of Russian crude oil. In this context, Peskov said, "We understand the pressure on India," pointing to the external challenges both economies are navigating.

Despite a recent decline in India's purchases of Russian crude oil due to Western sanctions, Russia is taking steps to maintain energy supplies. Peskov stressed, "There are sanctions against the Russian oil production sector, but we are finding ways not to let the volume of trade go down." He added, "We have deep experience in performing under the regime of these illegal sanctions."

Further, Russia is advocating for a shift away from the dollar-dominated global trade system, suggesting that future discussions could focus on settling transactions in national currencies. The Kremlin has also highlighted ongoing cooperation in defence, with joint projects such as the BrahMos missile and discussions around the potential supply of Su-57 fighter jets and S-400 air defence systems. Peskov remarked, "We are developing quite a variety of very complicated systems. We are ready to share with India our experience."

In addition to trade and defence, bilateral talks are expected to cover energy collaboration, including Russia's readiness to supply technology for small and medium nuclear reactors to India. Peskov confirmed Russia's willingness for broad cooperation, stating, "We are ready to go as far as India is ready. We are ready to develop our cooperation with India in every possible field."

Peskov also affirmed Russia's respect for India's independent foreign policy and highlighted ongoing diplomatic engagement. He stated, "Russia is open for peaceful negotiation; we have to reach our goals." He added, "We appreciate the position of India. We appreciate the readiness of New Delhi to look for a peaceful solution. We respect the position of Prime Minister Modi."