Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared India and Russia share a “special” relationship, standing by each other in difficult times, in a defiant show of ties as Washington criticizes New Delhi over oil purchases. Modi used his opening remarks at a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in China to signal that New Delhi’s ties with Moscow remain firm. In an unusual move, the two leaders rode together in Putin’s car to the meeting venue, spending about an hour conversing in the limo, according to people familiar with the matter.

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