New Delhi: Russia on Tuesday pitched for creating an “architecture” to insulate its trade ties with India from pressure by third countries, and said New Delhi’s procurement of Russian crude oil may decline for “a brief period” in view of Western sanctions.
However, Moscow is taking steps to enhance the supplies, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in a video-streamed news conference ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to New Delhi for the annual summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He said that addressing India’s concerns over the massive trade deficit, cooperation in small modular nuclear reactors, and expanding defence and energy ties could be among the focus areas during the summit talks on Friday.
While this statement was directed against the US, Peskov praised the latest mediation efforts by America to end the Ukraine war “as very effective”.
“We hope it will succeed. We are ready to contribute to it,” he said hours before US negotiator Steve Witcoff is scheduled to meet Putin.
Peskov held the news conference as a curtain raiser ahead of President Vladimir Putin’s visit to New Delhi on December 4 and 5 for the annual India-Russia summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
