Vladimir Putin

The war in Ukraine has now gone on longer than World War I

Parallels between the two wars abound, from the grinding nature of the fighting to the way new technologies reshaped warfare

Updated On: 11 Jun 2026 | 6:11 PM IST

World leaders congratulate Modi on becoming India's longest-serving PM

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "Great One", while Russia hailed him as the "doyen of all Indian prime ministers" as world leaders congratulated him on becoming India's longest continuously serving elected representative at the top post. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and former UK PM Rishi Sunak were among prominent leaders who extended their greetings through social media posts. Modi, who was elected to the office in 2014, reached the milestone on Wednesday, with an unbroken tenure of 4,399 days - surpassing India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Congratulating his "friend", President Trump, in a post on Truth Social, described Prime Minister Modi as "a Great One". "He is a strong, healthy, and wise man, and will have many years of Greatness and Succes

Updated On: 11 Jun 2026 | 6:55 AM IST

Brics driving global growth, intra-bloc trade tops $1 trillion: Putin

Putin noted that Brics now contributes around 40 per cent of global GDP in purchasing power parity terms

Updated On: 08 Jun 2026 | 2:23 PM IST

Ukraine targets St Petersburg after Putin rejects offer for direct talks

Residents of St Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city, were told not to leave their homes after a "large-scale" Ukrainian drone attack targeted the city Saturday morning, local officials said, underscoring Kyiv's growing ability to hit deep inside Russia. St Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov advised St Petersburg residents not to go outside and warned of possible disruptions to mobile internet service. Regional Gov Alexander Drozdenko said 141 drones were shot down over the surrounding Leningrad region. Russia's Defence Ministry said its air defences shot down 376 Ukrainian drones. Although no casualties were immediately reported, the renewed attack on St Petersburg strikes a further embarrassing blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin's efforts to cast the conflict as a distant event that doesn't affect Russian daily life. Saturday's attack follows a Ukrainian drone strike that set ablaze an oil terminal in the city and hit a nearby naval base Wednesday, hours before the ..

Updated On: 07 Jun 2026 | 4:59 PM IST

Sanctions threat to India would boomerang under PM Modi's leadership: Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that any attempt to undermine India's sovereignty through "threats of sanctions" would "boomerang immediately" under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. Putin made these remarks at the annual St Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday in response to a question about his comments during an interaction with heads of leading global news agencies, including PTI, on Thursday night. "India always acts as a sovereign country, and under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, any potential threats of sanctions would boomerang immediately," Putin said. Putin said that he has been in close talks with Prime Minister Modi for a long period, while recalling the time when the Indian leader was banned from entering the United States. "I know PM Modi will never forget about it," Putin said. "Now that he is (the) prime minister, all the sanctions have been eliminated, and the relationship between the US and India is developing successfully a

Updated On: 06 Jun 2026 | 3:49 PM IST

Putin rejects Zelenskyy's offer to meet, saying he sees 'no point' in it

President Vladimir Putin on Friday rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's proposal to have a meeting. Speaking at the international economic forum in his hometown of St. Petersburg, Putin described Zelenskyy's open letter proposing the meeting as "boorish." "Is it a way to create conditions for personal meetings and talks, or create an environment which makes any personal meetings impossible?" he said. "I think it's the second." He said that he sees "no point" in the meeting.

Updated On: 06 Jun 2026 | 12:00 AM IST

Putin pitches Su-57 stealth jet to India, may agree for co-production

Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered New Delhi Russia's fifth-generation stealth aircraft Sukhoi Su-57 and even suggested that the combat jet could even be jointly produced in India in line with the strong strategic partnership between the two countries. For decades, Russia has served as India's primary defence supplier. However, persistent supply chain disruptions and delivery delays stemming from the war in Ukraine have forced New Delhi to aggressively diversify its military procurement strategy. After a years-long search for a fifth-generation fighter jet, India has launched its ambitious Advanced Multirole Combat Aircraft (AMCA) project, widely regarded as the nation's largest indigenous aerospace programme. In an interaction with heads of leading global news agencies, including PTI on Thursday night, Putin delving into various aspects of India-Russia defence and military ties, said Moscow is still keen to involve New Delhi in the Su-57 aircraft programme. "As for the .

Updated On: 05 Jun 2026 | 11:53 PM IST

Open to peace if Kyiv bends, says Russian President Vladimir Putin

Russia is "ready and willing" to reach an agreement with Ukraine based on US President Donald Trump's peace proposal if Kyiv was ready to make certain "compromises", President Vladimir Putin has said even as he asserted that Russian forces are dominating the battlefield. In an interaction with heads of leading global news agencies, including PTI on Thursday night, the Russian President said Moscow is strengthening its air defences to counter Ukrainian drone strikes, asserting that the "patriotism and will of the Russian people" will ensure they achieve their goals in Ukraine. In a related development, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in an open letter to Putin, called for a face-to-face meeting between himself and the Russian president to end the war peacefully. Zelenskyy pitched for a full ceasefire to hold negotiations between the two sides arguing that peace could only come through direct engagement between Ukraine and Russia. The Kremlin said it received the ...

Updated On: 05 Jun 2026 | 10:36 PM IST

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy proposes peace talks in letter to Putin

The appeal came as officials from Europe's three biggest economies - Germany, France and the UK - have been discussing the possibility of holding talks involving Russia and Ukraine

Updated On: 05 Jun 2026 | 8:03 AM IST

Russia will not interfere in 'delicate' India-China relations, says Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said that Moscow will not interfere in the "delicate" bilateral relations between India and China, expressing confidence that both New Delhi and Beijing are committed to resolving their long-standing boundary disputes amicably. In a wide-ranging interaction with the heads of major global news agencies, Putin praised both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping and said both the leaders are determined to resolve the border issue peacefully. "This is a delicate, multi-faceted relationship between India and China, and interfering into them is not a good idea. Of course, we interact with both our friends -- both India and China," the Russian President said responding to a question from PTI's CEO and Editor-in-Chief Vijay Joshi. "President Xi and Prime Minister Modi are both trying to resolve all the issues of mutual interest, including the the border issue," he said. india and China rolled out a series of measures in

Updated On: 05 Jun 2026 | 7:19 AM IST

Ukraine conflict will quickly end if Kiev accepts compromises, says Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said that the Ukraine conflict will quickly end if Kiev accepts compromises based on the Anchorage agreements. Putin made the remarks during an interaction with heads of leading global news agencies, including PTI, where he also said that Russia will strengthen its air defences to repel drone attacks from Ukraine. Recalling his discussions with US President Donald Trump in Anchorage, Alaska, in August last year, Putin said Russia is open to the compromises on Ukraine to end the conflict. "The Ukrainian side also must agree to these compromises," Putin said. "The conflict will quickly come to an end." Putin also dismissed the idea that European Union countries could act as mediators in peace talks with Ukraine. "How can Russia trust people who have been harping about the need to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia for years?" he asked. He suggested that the EU could help resolve the conflict by persuading Ukraine to compromise instead

Updated On: 05 Jun 2026 | 7:10 AM IST

Putin hails India as reliable partner; slams West over interference in ties

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday hailed Moscow's strategic partnership with New Delhi and asserted that Western attempts to force New Delhi into scaling back its cooperation with Russia are both futile and damaging to global stability. In an interaction with heads of leading global news agencies including PTI, Putin lauded India's economic growth and its independent foreign policy and said Russia is determined to expand its economic engagement with the country. "India is among the world's major economies and is currently demonstrating an impressive rate of economic growth," Putin remarked, expressing confidence that bilateral trade between the two nations is on track to hit a USD 100 billion milestone in the coming years. Putin said Russia has not seen any negative consequences of Western pressure on India to limit its engagement with Russia, suggesting that such tactics are bound to backfire. "Everyone has understood that putting pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Mo

Updated On: 05 Jun 2026 | 6:51 AM IST

Xi, Putin oppose US-Israel war on Iran, call it a threat to global trade

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin expressed their opposition to the US-Israeli war on Iran on Wednesday, while warning that restrictions on shipping imposed by "individual states" threatened global trade, in a veiled reference to Tehran, which has blocked shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The US and Israeli strikes against Iran are illegal and seriously undermine stability in the Middle East, said a joint statement issued at the end of their day-long talks here. It also criticised US President Donald Trump's Golden Dome shield defence plan. The implementation of the Golden Dome project a multilayer missile defence system initiated by Trump - would have "serious negative consequences for international security", according to the joint statement released by the Kremlin. Putin's visit to Beijing followed days after Trump's tour here during which the Iran war, opening of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran dominated their talks. Both China and Russia ar

Updated On: 20 May 2026 | 10:27 PM IST

Xi Jinping, Putin praise ties but see no energy headway at Beijing talks

President Xi Jinping welcomed President Vladimir Putin with an honour guard and a gun salute at the Great Hall of the People, as children waved Chinese and Russian flags

Updated On: 20 May 2026 | 3:04 PM IST

Xi calls for immediate end to West Asia hostilities during talks with Putin

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called for an immediate end to hostilities in West Asia, saying the situation had reached a "critical juncture", as he held talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin here amid escalating regional tensions. Welcoming Putin at the Great Hall of the People, Xi said renewed fighting in the Gulf and the wider West Asia must be avoided and stressed that negotiations should continue. An early end to the conflict will help ease disruptions to energy supplies, industrial and supply chains, and the international trade order, the Chinese president said. The talks between Xi and Putin came days after US President Donald Trump visited China from May 14-15 and held extensive discussions with the Chinese leader on the Iran-Israel conflict, the Strait of Hormuz and bilateral trade frictions. The meeting is being closely watched as both China and Russia are key strategic partners of Iran with close economic and military ties to Tehran and could ...

Updated On: 20 May 2026 | 12:34 PM IST

Xi Jinping, Putin hold bilateral talks in Beijing days after Trump's visit

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin held wide-ranging talks here on Wednesday on bilateral ties and key global issues, including Iran, the Ukraine war, and trade. Their talks assumed significance as the two leaders met days after US President Donald Trump visited Beijing from May 14-15 and held extensive discussions with Xi on issues ranging from Iran and the Ukraine war to bilateral trade frictions and regional developments. Ahead of the talks at the Great Hall of the People, Putin was accorded a ceremonial welcome by Xi. The ceremonial welcome was followed by bilateral talks. Putin, who arrived here on Tuesday night, was received by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. In a video address on Tuesday delivered before his visit, Putin said Russia-China relations had reached "a truly unprecedented level". He said regular top-level exchanges between the two countries formed an integral part of efforts to deepen bilateral ties and unlock their "limitl

Updated On: 20 May 2026 | 10:15 AM IST

Putin heads to China days after Trump's visit as Beijing balances ties

Russian President Vladimir Putin is travelling to China to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping less than a week after US President Donald Trump wrapped up his own trip to Beijing. Putin is scheduled to be in China on Tuesday and Wednesday in a visit likely to be closely watched as Beijing seeks to maintain stable relations with the United States while also preserving strong ties with Russia. The Kremlin has said Putin and Xi plan to discuss economic cooperation between the two countries, but also "key international and regional issues". The visit coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Sino-Russian Treaty of Friendship signed in 2001. "The Trump visit was about stabilising the world's most important bilateral relationship; the Putin visit is about reassuring a long-standing strategic partner," said Wang Zichen, deputy secretary-general for the Beijing-based think tank Centre for China & Globalisation. "For China, these two tracks are not mutually exclusive." Putin last visited .

Updated On: 19 May 2026 | 9:21 PM IST

Putin to visit China next week for talks with Xi days after Trump's trip

Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on a two-day trip to Beijing next week, the Kremlin said Saturday. The announcement comes less than 24 hours after US President Donald Trump finished his own state visit to China, where he also met Xi to discuss trade and the US-Israel war in Iran. In a statement, the Kremlin said that Putin's trip, planned for May 19-20, had been scheduled to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the 2001 Sino-Russian Treaty of Friendship. It said that the two leaders would discuss bilateral relations as well as "key international and regional issues" and economic cooperation. Relations between China and Russia have deepened in recent years, particularly since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, which left Moscow shunned on the global stage and heavily reliant on Beijing for trade due to Western sanctions. When Putin visited China in September 2025, Xi welcomed his counterpart as an "old frie

Updated On: 16 May 2026 | 2:59 PM IST

Putin says Ukraine war nearing end, cites Nato expansion as root cause

He blamed "globalist" Western leaders, saying they promised Nato would not expand eastward after the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall, but then tried to draw Ukraine into the European Union's orbit

Updated On: 10 May 2026 | 11:54 PM IST

Putin marks Victory Day with scaled-down parade after Ukraine ceasefire

The parade passed off without incident after days of spiraling tensions between Russia and Ukraine until Trump unexpectedly announced the ceasefire late Friday

Updated On: 09 May 2026 | 3:00 PM IST