Modi–Putin Bond On Display With Shared Car Ride After SCO Summit

In Tianjin, China, after the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin skipped the usual motorcade protocol and chose to share a ride together. The unusual gesture caught attention worldwide, particularly as it unfolded against the backdrop of fresh U.S. tariffs targeting India's oil trade with Russia.

PM Modi later posted on X that discussions with President Putin are "always insightful," sharing a picture of their candid moment. Sources revealed that Putin waited nearly ten minutes for Modi to join him, and the two leaders spoke for 45 minutes on the way from the SCO venue to the Ritz-Carlton hotel. Their formal bilateral talks that followed stretched well over an hour.

Symbolism Beyond Diplomacy

Putin's decision to travel with Modi carries weight. Just days earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump accused India of indirectly funding Moscow's war in Ukraine by continuing oil imports, slapping a steep 50% tariff on Indian goods - the harshest levied on any Asian nation. Yet India has persisted with Russian oil purchases, framing them as essential to its national interest.

Since the Ukraine conflict erupted in 2022, India has emerged as one of Russia's biggest oil buyers, even as Western nations shunned Russian energy and introduced price caps. Importantly, these purchases remain legal as long as they align with the sanctions framework.

A Meeting of Minds

At the SCO summit itself, Modi and Putin exchanged warm words, with the Russian leader acknowledging India's role in peace-building efforts around the Ukraine crisis. It was the duo's first in-person meeting since October 2024 at the BRICS summit in Kazan, though they had spoken after Putin's discussions with Trump in Alaska earlier this year.

Images from Tianjin highlighted the ease of their rapport. One photograph showed Modi walking between Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, recalling a similar shot from the BRICS summit. Another captured Modi and Putin shaking hands and embracing warmly, while Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stood aside, looking distinctly isolated as the two leaders walked past him.

Strengthening Strategic Ties

The optics of camaraderie between Modi and Putin are hard to ignore. At a time when Western powers dominate the discourse on Ukraine, Russia continues to emphasize India's and China's balancing roles. The shared car ride in Tianjin may have been informal, but its political undertones were unmistakable: India and Russia remain aligned on key issues, undeterred by Washington's mounting pressure.