‘Indians will not tolerate humiliation': Putin—scheduled to visit New Delhi before year’s end
Digital Desk
Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized US pressure on oil purchases and said India will not give in. Addressing the Valdai Policy Forum in Sochi on Thursday, he said PM Modi would never make a decision that would violate India's sovereignty.
Putin said that if higher tariffs are imposed on Russia's trade partners, it will impact energy prices worldwide. Prices will rise, forcing the US Federal Reserve to keep interest rates high, which will slow the US economy.
Putin warned that if India stops buying Russian oil, it could suffer losses of $9 to $10 billion. Putin said that in a country like India, people closely monitor the decisions of their leaders and would never want their country to bow to anyone.
Putin also said that without Russian oil the world economy would suffer and if its supply stops, oil prices could rise above $100 per barrel.
Putin will visit India
Putin described Modi as a friend and said he could communicate with him with confidence. The Russian president expressed his excitement about his upcoming visit to India in early December. He also directed his government to take concrete steps to address the trade imbalance created by India's large crude oil purchases.
Putin said that if India wants, it can buy more agricultural products and medicines from Russia to correct the trade imbalance.
In his speech, Putin also took a dig at the United States. He said that it pressures countries like India not to buy Russian energy, while it itself depends on Russia for uranium. Putin said that Russia will continue to supply uranium to the United States. He said that America buys it from us because it benefits it.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit India in December for an annual summit with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Preparations are at 'full swing' for the tour.
“Yes, we have finalised the timeframe for India visit of the President. It would take place before the New Year sets in," the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview on Thrusday.
"The preparations for the visit is at full swing,” Peskov added.
Putin said that instead of fixing their own country's problems, EU leaders are spreading panic and fear of war. They keep telling their people that Russia is going to attack NATO countries. I would tell them to forget about this and sleep peacefully.
Putin said that leaders who spread such things are either extremely incompetent or are cleverly deceiving their citizens so that the public forgets the real issues.
Putin also stated that Russia has no option but to be weak. He said that history bears witness that Russia has never been weak. Those who dream of defeating Russia should never try to provoke it. They will always suffer the consequences. Putin said that there has never been any doubt about this and there will never be in the future.
Putin took a jab at Trump for calling Russia a "paper tiger." He said, "If Russia is a paper tiger and yet is constantly engaged in war with NATO, then what is NATO's status?"