St. Petersburg:- Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Moscow will not interfere in the “sensitive” bilateral relationship between India and China. He expressed confidence that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are committed to resolving their long-standing border dispute through a friendly and constructive approach.
During an extensive interaction on Thursday night with heads of leading global news agencies, Putin praised both Modi and Xi. He said that Russia’s decades-old partnerships with New Delhi and Beijing have evolved naturally and remain completely independent of each other.
Responding to a question from PTI CEO and Editor-in-Chief Vijay Joshi, who was the only Indian journalist present at the event, Putin said, “This is a sensitive and multifaceted relationship between India and China, and it would not be appropriate to interfere. Of course, we maintain dialogue with both of our friends—India and China.”
He added, “President Xi and Prime Minister Modi are both working to address all issues of mutual interest, including the border question.”
Following the violent clashes in the Galwan Valley in 2020 and the subsequent military standoff that lasted for more than four years, India and China have taken several steps over the past year to rebuild and stabilize their relationship. In August, Modi and Xi met in Tianjin, where they reiterated that the two countries are development partners rather than rivals and that differences should not be allowed to turn into disputes.
Russia has consistently maintained that resolving the border dispute is a matter for India and China themselves and that it hopes to see friendly relations between the two nations. Highlighting Moscow’s strategic balance in Asia, Putin said that Russia’s ties with both India and China have developed naturally over time.
He emphasized that Moscow’s growing cooperation with New Delhi is not at China’s expense, just as Russia’s deepening partnership with Beijing does not affect its relationship with India.
“Russia’s relations with India do not trouble China, and our relations with China do not trouble India. These partnerships have developed naturally,” Putin said.
Putin also referred to the historical background of the Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral framework, which later served as a foundation for the formation of BRICS.
Commenting on India-Pakistan relations, Putin said, “We are well aware of the complexities surrounding issues related to the India-Pakistan border.” At the same time, he added that he does not believe Pakistan is under China’s control.