<h3 data-start="205" data-end="286">India-Russia Deepen Alliance Amid US Tariff Leverage on Ceasefire Talks</h3>
In a week of fast-moving diplomatic manoeuvres, <a title="India Russia" href="https://www.benefitnews24.com/defence/india-russia-to-boost-defence-ties-further/17503" target="_blank" rel="noopener">India</a> and <a title="Russia" href="https://www.benefitnews24.com/politics/india-russia-relations-strengthened-by-volodin-s-visit/5772" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russia</a> reaffirmed their strategic partnership even as Washington escalated its trade offensive against New Delhi. At the same time, Moscow confirmed that President Vladimir Putin is set to meet <a title="US India" href="https://www.benefitnews24.com/opinion/trump-s-trade-threat-india-won-t-be-bullied/17425" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US</a> President Donald Trump next week, in a development closely linked to the Ukraine conflict.
National Security Adviser Ajit Doval&rsquo;s Moscow visit &mdash; planned well before the latest trade turbulence &mdash; became a high-profile symbol of the resilience of the Indo-Russian relationship. Meeting President Putin at the Kremlin, and earlier holding wide-ranging talks with Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu, Doval underscored the special and privileged partnership binding the two countries.
The timing was striking. Just a day earlier, President Trump had slapped an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods, effectively doubling the levy to 50%, citing New Delhi&rsquo;s sustained purchases of Russian oil. Yet, on Thursday, Trump claimed the move was yielding results by pressuring Moscow towards the ceasefire table in the Russia-Ukraine war. His remarks hinted that the tariff strategy was less about punishing India and more about exploiting New Delhi&rsquo;s leverage over the Kremlin.
ALSO READ: https://www.benefitnews24.com/opinion/trump-tariffs-india-but-is-putin-the-real-target-/17517
For Russia, the signals were clear. Shoigu spoke of&nbsp;time-tested friendship and a desire to advance a &ldquo;unifying agenda&rdquo;rooted in mutual respect and trust. Doval, for his part, emphasised that uncertainty on the global stage only amplified the need for stable alliances &mdash; a direct nod to Cold War-era strategic instincts that have defined Indo-Russian ties for decades.
While the Kremlin confirmed the Putin-Trump meeting for next week, it did not rule out &mdash; though it has yet to confirm &mdash; a potential dialogue between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The choreography suggests Washington is attempting a two-track diplomatic push: wielding economic tools against India while engaging Russia directly, all in pursuit of a Ukraine ceasefire.
The week&rsquo;s developments have thrown into sharp relief the complex web of 21st-century geopolitics: India holding firm with Russia, the US leveraging that friendship to nudge Moscow, and the Ukraine conflict casting a long shadow over every negotiation table.

Indian PM Modi with Russian President Putin – file photo

Putin-Trump meet expected next week, Ukraine talks remain uncertain amid tariff tensions

India-Russia Boost Ties as US Eyes Ceasefire

Putin-Trump meet expected next week, Ukraine talks remain uncertain amid tariff tensions

August 8, 2025 | 10:55 IST