NEW DELHI, December 5, 2025 – Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrapped up the 23rd annual India-Russia Summit on Friday with a robust joint statement that voiced deep concern over the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, urging all parties to recommit to ceasefire agreements amid reports of escalating Israeli strikes in violation of the fragile October truce. The leaders, meeting at Hyderabad House after Putin’s ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan, also inked a slew of pacts to supercharge bilateral trade toward a $100 billion target by 2030, while navigating U.S. tariffs imposed as punishment for India’s Russian oil purchases—a move that has strained New Delhi’s relations with Washington but underscored the resilience of the Moscow-Delhi partnership.
In their comprehensive joint communiqué, the two nations “expressed concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza and strongly stressed the importance for all parties concerned to remain committed to agreements and understandings reached between them for cessation of conflict, humanitarian assistance and a sustainable peace.” This call for restraint echoed broader appeals for “restraint, protection of civilians and compliance with international law, and the need to refrain from taking actions that could further escalate the situation and compromise regional stability” across the Middle East. The statement arrives at a precarious moment for Gaza, where a U.S.-brokered ceasefire that took effect on October 10 has frayed under mutual accusations of breaches. Israel has launched multiple airstrikes since late October, including a deadly barrage on October 19 that killed two Israeli soldiers and prompted retaliatory strikes claiming 26 Palestinian lives, according to Gaza health authorities. Further escalations in late October saw Israeli forces hit Rafah and Beit Lahia, with Palestinian officials reporting over 100 deaths in a single night of bombardment on October 28-29, including dozens of children, as the Israeli military accused Hamas of staging hostage remains discoveries and firing on troops.
Gaza’s Government Media Office has tallied at least 591 Israeli violations of the truce from October 10 to early December, encompassing 280 bombings, 164 civilian shootings, 25 raids beyond buffer zones, and 118 property demolitions, resulting in over 360 Palestinian deaths and 922 injuries. Hamas has countered by denying involvement in clashes and reaffirming truce adherence, while Israel maintains its actions target “terrorist infrastructure” like tunnels and weapons caches. The India-Russia appeal aligns with UN Security Council Resolution 2728, which demands an immediate ceasefire and unrestricted aid access—a provision repeatedly flouted, with aid trucks halted multiple times, exacerbating famine risks for 1.9 million displaced residents. Modi, who has balanced India’s ties with Israel (a key defense supplier) and Palestinian support, used the summit to reiterate New Delhi’s “not neutral” stance on global conflicts, emphasizing peace mediation without naming Ukraine or Gaza explicitly in the statement.
On the Iranian nuclear front, the duo “stressed the importance of resolving” the issue via dialogue, a nod to shared concerns over proliferation amid Tehran’s uranium enrichment surpassing 60% purity, per International Atomic Energy Agency reports. Putin, arriving late Thursday amid a 30-hour whirlwind itinerary, received a guard of honor from President Droupadi Murmu before paying homage at Rajghat, Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial. The summit, Putin’s first to India since 2021, elevated their “special and privileged strategic partnership” forged in 2000, with talks spanning defense, energy, and BRICS coordination—Russia assuming the bloc’s 2025 chair amid expansions including Egypt and Iran.
Economic imperatives dominated, as the leaders unveiled the Programme for the Development of Strategic Areas of India-Russia Economic Cooperation till 2030, targeting $100 billion in annual trade—up from $68.7 billion in fiscal 2024-25, where India’s $63.8 billion in Russian oil imports dwarfed its $4.9 billion exports. Modi declared confidence in surpassing the goal “well ahead of schedule,” citing diversification into fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, and critical minerals. To shield against sanctions, they pledged to expand national currency settlements, interoperate payment systems like India’s UPI and Russia’s Mir, and explore central bank digital currencies—moves that have already doubled rupee-ruble trade since 2022.
Over a dozen MoUs were exchanged, covering trade facilitation, migration (easing Russian worker visas for Indian firms), maritime ports, health safety, fertilizers (a joint Russian plant), academic exchanges, media collaboration, and people-to-people links like e-tourist visas for Russians. Defense loomed large, with talks on upgrading Su-30MKI jets, co-producing BrahMos missiles for export to CIS nations, and Kudankulam nuclear expansion—Russia’s Rosatom committing to full-capacity Units 3-6 by 2030. Putin touted “uninterrupted fuel supplies” despite Western curbs, while Modi invited Russian firms to “Make in India” in shipbuilding and AI.
Yet the summit unfolded against U.S. headwinds: In August, President Donald Trump slapped a 50% tariff on Indian imports—25% base plus 25% penalty for Russian oil buys—escalating from prior duties and risking $48 billion in exports like textiles and pharma. New Delhi decried it as “unfair,” arguing energy security for 1.4 billion people trumps sanctions hypocrisy—Europe still imports Russian gas via Turkey. India’s November oil imports from Russia dipped 8% post-sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil, spiking Brent prices and adding $6-7 billion to annual bills, per Carnegie analysis. In retaliation, India boosted U.S. crude buys to 10.7% of total in October under “Mission 500” for $500 billion bilateral trade by 2030, while negotiating tariff cuts to 15-16% in exchange for phasing down Russian volumes.
The leaders also condemned terrorism, referencing the Crocus City Hall attack (March 2024, 144 dead) and Pahalgam bombing (April 2025, 22 killed), vowing to dismantle financing networks and UN-listed groups. On Ukraine—unmentioned in the statement—Modi affirmed India’s “side of peace,” backing dialogue without neutrality, as Putin praised their “independent foreign policies” in BRICS and SCO.
As Putin departed for Moscow—hosted to a state banquet by Murmu—the summit reaffirmed a bond “resilient to external pressure,” per the statement. With Gaza’s truce teetering (591 breaches per Palestinian tallies) and U.S. tariffs biting, Modi-Putin optics signal multipolarity: India hedging between Quad ally Washington and time-tested Moscow, amid a world where energy, arms, and ceasefires intersect in fragile geopolitics. Analysts see the $100 billion trade push as a de-dollarization bet, but warn U.S. secondary sanctions could curb India’s refining profits—$5 billion last year from discounted Urals crude. For Gaza, the duo’s plea joins a chorus—from UN’s Guterres to EU’s von der Leyen—demanding aid ramps and two-state revival, as 90% of infrastructure lies ruined and 35,000+ dead since 2023. In Delhi’s crisp winter air, the summit closed not with fanfare, but a quiet resolve: partnerships endure, but peace demands more than statements.
