Putin Says Russia Won't Interfere In India-China Border Issue

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Thursday that Moscow will not intervene in the "delicate" bilateral relations between India and China, expressing confidence that both New Delhi and Beijing are committed to resolving their long-standing boundary disputes amicably.

During a wide-ranging interaction with the heads of major global news agencies, Putin praised both Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping. He noted that both leaders remain determined to settle their border issues through peaceful means, highlighting Moscow's efforts to maintain a strategic equilibrium in Asia. According to PTI, Putin emphasised that Russia's decades-long partnerships with both New Delhi and Beijing grew naturally and operate entirely independently of one another.

"This is a delicate, multi-faceted relationship between India and China, and interfering into them is not a good idea. Of course, we interact with both our friends -- both India and China," the Russian President said, responding to a question from PTI's CEO and Editor-in-Chief Vijay Joshi.

"President Xi and Prime Minister Modi are both trying to resolve all the issues of mutual interest, including the the border issue," he added.

The remarks come after India and China rolled out a series of measures over the last year to rebuild their relationship. Ties had come under severe strain following the deadly Galwan Valley clashes in 2020 and the subsequent military face-off that lasted for over four years. Characterising Russia's diplomatic ties as having evolved organically, Putin stressed that Moscow's growing synergy with New Delhi does not come at Beijing's expense, just as Russia's deep alliance with China does not compromise its bond with India.

Providing historical background, Putin touched upon the origin of the Russia-India-China trilateral framework. "At one point, I suggested that leaders of India, China meet in Russia and that's how Russia-India-China was established. We had things to talk about, to agree upon," he said.

The Russian President also addressed the frosty ties between India and Pakistan, stating he is "well aware of the intricacies of the issues concerning the border between India and Pakistan." However, when questioned about the close friendship between Beijing and Islamabad, Putin dismissed the notion that Pakistan was under Chinese control.

"I don't think so," he said, adding that "Pakistan is a large country which has multi-faceted ties with different countries." He noted, however, that "Of course, for Pakistan, it is very important to take into account the cooperation with China."

Turning to defence cooperation, Putin highlighted Russia's military ties with India, citing the successful co-development and co-production of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system.

Furthermore, Putin suggested that Russia has proposed to India to work jointly on manufacturing the fifth-generation Su-57 fighter jet, at a time when India is actively looking to procure a batch of fifth-generation aircraft.

"We proposed our Indian friends to work together on technology, the fifth generation technology....we are ready to work with India in this field to supply (fighter) aircraft," Putin stated, adding that his country remains ready to provide India with critical technologies for major defence platforms and weapons, PTI reported.

(With inputs from PTI)