Vladimir Putin praises Modi, bashes the West


Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that India’s leadership is acting “on its own volition” in the name of the nation, as he charged that the West is forcing countries to follow it blindly. Speaking at a news conference in Sochi, Russia, Putin said that the West is trying to create a “hostile environment” for anyone who is not willing to follow Western elites. “China, for example, is a potential target, and at some point, India may become the same,” he said.

They also demonize the Arab world, Putin said, and do so in a selective way. “They sought to portray Muslims as enemies”. Putin also praised India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, at another event, calling him a “very wise man.”

“Prime Minister Modi and I have a very good political relationship. He is a wise leader. India has made a lot of progress under his leadership, which is in line with our mutual interest in working on this agenda,” Putin said in a statement. Putin’s praise for India’s leadership follows the G20 summit in India, which adopted the “New Delhi Declaration”, which Moscow described as a “milestone”. The declaration focused on peace in the Ukraine conflict without assigning blame to Russia, in contrast to the previous one, the “Bali Declaration”.

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin praised India, hailing the G20 Summit as a “personal triumph” for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Putin also praised India’s bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council as a sign of “growing strength” on the global stage. “India is a country with great potential,” Putin said, noting the country’s large population, projected GDP growth rate of more than 7 percent, and increasing high-tech exports.

As far as the G20 is concerned, there is no question that it was a success for the Indian presidency, and for Prime Minister Modi personally. The Indian leaders were able to strike a… balance, even in the statement,” Putin said at the event in Sochi.