Putin and Modi at the SCO Summit: A Hug, Oil Deals, and Geopolitical Chess

In Tianjin, a gesture spoke louder than words. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi embraced Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit before the two drove off together in the same car for a closed-door bilateral meeting. The photo, shared directly by Modi on X, quickly spread across the globe. “Conversations with President Putin are always insightful,” Modi wrote — even as Washington fumes over India’s continued purchases of Russian oil.

India Ignores U.S. Pressure and Keeps Buying Russian Oil Neither the threat of sanctions nor President Donald Trump’s decision to raise tariffs on Indian goods to 50% has changed New Delhi’s stance. Modi has made it clear: as long as Russian oil remains affordable, India will buy it. The head of the state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation was even more blunt: “We will purchase every drop of Russian oil that makes financial sense.” Meanwhile, oil prices are climbing — Brent rose to $68.10 per barrel and WTI to $64.66. Markets remain jittery amid renewed Russian airstrikes on Ukraine, declining tanker shipments, and Trump’s tariff threats.

India’s Double-Faced Diplomacy Interestingly, before flying to China, Modi spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about peace. Officially, India is sending a signal that it wears two hats — maintaining friendship with Moscow while keeping the door open to Kyiv. Putin is also expected to visit India later this year, adding further complexity to the Delhi–Moscow–Kyiv triangle.

Trump Hesitates on Sanctions While Eyeing a Peacemaker Role Back in Washington, questions are growing about why Trump has not imposed another round of strict sanctions on Russia’s oil trade. Analysts point to two key reasons: 🔹 Trump still believes he could position himself as a peacemaker between Moscow and Kyiv — a potential political triumph with the Nobel Peace Prize announcement looming in October. 🔹 The second factor is China. Fully isolating Putin from the West would push him entirely into Beijing’s orbit — a scenario Washington wants to avoid. Chris Weafer of Macro-Advisory explained: “If Russia is totally isolated, it will have no choice but to move closer to China. And that is not a victory for the U.S.”

What’s Next? India shows no signs of backing down from lucrative energy deals. Russia needs buyers for its oil. And Trump is playing a dangerous geopolitical game, balancing sanctions, diplomacy, and the risks of pushing Moscow further toward Beijing. One thing is certain: the Modi–Putin meeting in Tianjin projects an image that, unlike the West, India is ready to continue doing business with Russia — regardless of Washington’s pressure.

#putin , #India , #russia , #oil , #worldnews

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