Modi, Putin Share Warm Hug at SCO Summit Amid US Tariff Tensions

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin exchanged a warm hug on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, China. PM Modi shared two photos of the meeting on Twitter, one showing the leaders interacting and another capturing the hug, captioned: “Always a delight to meet President Putin!”

The friendly encounter comes amid rising tensions with the United States, which imposed sweeping 50% tariffs on Indian imports, partly in response to India’s energy purchases from Russia. Washington has argued that proceeds from these deals could fund Russia’s war in Ukraine, though India maintains that its energy decisions are guided by market realities and global circumstances.

The SCO Summit, attended by both leaders, follows recent high-level US-Russia talks in Alaska and discussions in Washington on Ukraine. Modi and Putin were welcomed in Tianjin by Chinese President Xi Jinping. This marks PM Modi’s first visit to China in seven years and his first meeting with Xi in nearly a year, following their last encounter at the 2024 BRICS summit in Kazan, which helped ease tensions along the Line of Actual Control.