Putin Calls India an 'Economic Giant,' Says Multipolar World Has No Hegemon

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday hailed India as an “economic giant,” emphasizing that a genuinely multipolar world must prevent any single nation from dominating others, ensuring instead that all countries enjoy “equal rights.”

After concluding his visit to Beijing for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, where he held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters that even platforms comprising major powers like India and China are not designed to assert dominance. “A multipolar world recognises no hegemon; all participants have equal rights. Even with economic giants such as India and China, forums like BRICS do not pursue domination in politics or global security,” he said.

Putin characterised his “formal and informal” engagements with Chinese leaders as highly constructive. “While leading EU economies slide into recession, growth is being driven by global players, particularly in the Asia-Pacific,” he remarked. “My discussions with China’s leadership, both official and informal, were productive and delivered positive results.”

His remarks come against the backdrop of intensifying tensions between Washington and New Delhi over trade tariffs. The United States has slapped a 50 per cent duty on Indian exports, framing it as “punishment” for India’s continued purchase of Russian oil.

Putin’s statements stand in sharp contrast to the language of US President Donald Trump, who has frequently dismissed India’s economy as “dead.” Trump recently claimed that during the now-stalled trade talks, New Delhi had “offered” to reduce tariffs on American goods to “zero,” while contending that the US does “very little business” with India despite being its “biggest client.”

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