New Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday praised India’s independent foreign policy and described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a great patriot. He further said that India and Russia have special relations and the two countries have no outstanding issues whatsoever. Addressing the Valdai Club conference in Moscow, Putin said, “PM Modi is a great patriot who is able to pursue an independent foreign policy despite any attempts to do some detente or limit something.”
“I am sure India has a great future and an increasing role in global affairs,” he added.
Vladimir Putin also praised India’s progress from being a British colony to a modern state. India has come a long way from being a British colony to an independent country. We have special ties. We’ve never had any difficult issues and supported each other and that’s happening right now. I’m sure it’ll happen in the future, he said.
Earlier in his opening remarks, Vladimir Putin pulled up the US and its allies and said they are playing a “dirty, dangerous and bloody” game in hopes of dominating the globe.
Putin’s praise for India’s foreign policy came weeks after India abstained from voting on a United Nations resolution condemning Russia’s annexation of four Ukrainian regions — Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia.
India had said there are other pressing issues at play and those have not been adequately addressed in the resolution. However, India had also expressed deep concern at the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, including the targeting of civilian infrastructure and deaths of civilians.
“My Prime Minister has said unequivocally that this cannot be an era of war. With this firm resolve to strive for a peaceful solution through dialogue and diplomacy, India has decided to abstain,” Ruchira Kamboj, Permanent Representative to the UN had said.
