President Vladimir Putin’s affection for India is not just formal, but based on a deep strategic understanding. As a former KGB officer, he has the ability to read signals and intentions—and a rare quality he finds in India: honesty, without pretense. India is the partner which has given confidence in every test. No fanfare, no ostentation—just a stable, reliable and respectful relationship, which is why Putin feels more comfortable and confident with India than with any other major power in the world, and this is what Putin respects.
To understand this deeply, three layers have to be understood—first, Putin’s personality; Second, the nature of India-Russia relations; And thirdly, the geopolitics that binds the two countries together in a strategic thread.
Putin is not a leader who thinks only about electoral or immediate political gains. He thinks in decades. Like a KGB-trained strategist who knows that nations are built not on lofty statements or temporary alliances, but on long-tested relationships of trust. In Putin’s eyes, Russia’s future depends on a select few reliable partners—countries that can maintain the global balance of power, provide strategic support to Moscow, and provide stability to Russia in a sometimes hostile global environment. The most prominent, most reliable and most consistent partner in this short list is India—and that is why Putin considers India not just a friend, but a partner in Russia’s long-term strategy.
The roots of Putin’s diplomacy are not in noise, but in silence, observation and loyalty. His years in the KGB taught him that the most reliable comrades are those who say less and do more. He reads everything about the other person—language, tone, hesitation, confidence, aggression and composure. And when he looks at India’s leadership, he sees that rare blend of predictability, honesty and geopolitical maturity that is almost lost in today’s global politics. India neither takes hasty decisions, nor gives in to emotional reactions, nor abandons old partners for new relationships. In Putin’s view, Russia’s future depends on select, reliable partners who can provide strategic depth, stability and balance. India emerges as the most reliable, stable and mature partner for them.
Russia has entered a new and uncertain period and Putin is fully aware of this. After 2022, the West closed its doors, Europe distanced itself from Russia and Washington created a new global pressure mechanism to corner Moscow. Putin is fully aware of this shrinking diplomatic circle. He knows better than anyone that Russia cannot build its future on China alone, because the China-Russia partnership is useful but never completely equal or completely reliable. Beijing is rapidly rising, expanding its influence in Central Asia, the Arctic and even Russia’s Far Eastern markets. Putin understands these changes. He respects China, but is not in favor of staking Russia’s future only on China.
A country that neither tries to dominate Moscow nor interfere in its geopolitical space. India is the balance for Russia that neither China nor the West can provide. India is growing economically, modernizing militarily and emerging as an independent, balanced and confident country in diplomacy. These are the three things that show Putin the future of a long-term partner in India.
Moreover, India has never left Russia alone in public forums in the last decade. Be it the purchase of S-400, Arctic cooperation or energy partnership—India has always taken decisions based on issue, principle based and long-term interests. For Putin, this ‘credibility’ is more valuable than gold. Where the world is becoming increasingly polarized, India is one of those few countries which can talk to every power, but does not bow down to the pressure of any power.
India neither touches Russia’s borders nor challenges its geopolitical sphere of influence. India’s rise is not a competition for Russia, but a complementary power. In Putin’s view, a strong India makes for a stable Asia — and a stable Asia is essential for Russia. This is why for Putin India is not a “friend” but a “Pillar of Stability”. A pillar on which Russia can rely in difficult times, survive global imbalances and maintain its strategic depth in Asia.
Ultimately, Putin sees India as a pillar of stability for Russia’s long-term future. A partner that can help balance China, resist Western hegemony, provide economic opportunity, and stand with Moscow during global turmoil. A country whose rise benefits Russia, not harm. A partner whose friendship comes with dignity, not dependence.
Putin does not “love” India in an emotional sense—he values India with a strategic, future-focused understanding. For them, India is not just a friend. India is the strongest base of Russia’s geopolitical balance.
