Washington: The camaraderie between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin during the latter’s two-day State visit to India could not be missed.

In a rare gesture, the Indian PM personally greeted the Russian President at Palam airport, drove to his residence with Putin in his car for a private dinner, the two leaders headlined the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit, and a number of strategic deals were formalised. ADVERTISEMENT

The world was watching, especially after the United States accused India of ‘financing’ the Ukraine war by continuing to purchase Russian oil, and the Donald Trump administration slapped an additional 25 per cent penal tariffs on India.

A former Pentagon official quipped that Trump, and not Moscow, deserves credit for the warm reception in New D

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