Tianjin, China: The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025 is underway in Tianjin, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and several other world leaders in attendance. During the summit, Putin highlighted India and China’s efforts to mediate the Russia-Ukraine conflict while notably omitting U.S. President Donald Trump from his remarks. He said Western countries’ attempts to include Ukraine in NATO contributed to the crisis but praised India and China for their active role in seeking a resolution.
Putin reiterated that he has personally tried to end the Russia-Ukraine war and has held discussions with Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, though clashes continue. At the SCO summit, he emphasized that Modi and Xi Jinping have been the primary mediators, underscoring Trump’s lack of engagement.
The summit also drew attention in Washington, where U.S. Secretary of State Rubio called India a key partner, expressing readiness to strengthen ties with Modi. He highlighted plans for an upcoming bilateral meeting this month, focusing on trade, defense, and other cooperative initiatives, and noted that the longstanding friendship between the peoples of both nations forms a strong foundation for collaboration.
During the summit, Modi revealed that he and Putin arrived at the venue together in the same car, describing their discussions as “always in-depth.” Despite the U.S. imposing a 50% tariff on India, and a recent 25% tariff on Russian oil imports, India continues its trade strategy, planning to increase oil imports from Russia by 10–20% in September, signaling resilience in its energy procurement policies.