Modi conveyed to the Russian leader that he looks forward to welcoming him in India. (File Photo) Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday said Moscow is “fully aware” of New Delhi’s concerns over the widening trade deficit and is working with India to address the “problem”.
Speaking at a video press conference with Indian journalists ahead of President Vladimir Putin’s visit to New Delhi on 4–5 December for the annual summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Peskov ranged across issues from Ukraine to energy sanctions and defence ties.
Peskov stressed the “trusted” nature of the India–Russia relationship and praised New Delhi’s “friendly stand” during what he described as a difficult phase for Moscow. “We are proud to have been shoulder to shoulder with our Indian friends during their historic growth,” he said, adding that Russia values Modi’s engagement with Putin on the Ukraine conflict. “India listens to us, India hears us, and we truly appreciate that,” he noted, contrasting this with the lack of dialogue with European countries.
On trade, Peskov acknowledged the imbalance created by India’s rising imports of discounted Russian crude. “We are selling much more than we buy from India… We know our Indian friends are concerned. We are jointly looking at ways to increase imports from India. We want to buy more,” he said.
He also accused the US of using the dollar-denominated global financial system as a “political tool”, and called for an alternative architecture for international trade. At the same time, he welcomed Washington’s latest diplomatic push to end the Ukraine war, calling the mediation effort “very effective”. “We hope it will succeed. We are ready to contribute,” he said, hours before US envoy Steve Witcoff was scheduled to meet Putin.
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Peskov’s remarks set the tone for next week’s summit, where Modi and Putin are expected to discuss defence cooperation, energy supplies and efforts to rebalance bilateral trade.
