© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Chess legend Garry Kasparov, in exile from Russia for many years after his political stance against long-time president Vladimir Putin, on Friday sounded off a warning to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi about trusting Putin, who he branded a “genocidal war criminal”. Kasparov’s warning came as Modi posted a tweet about having a conversation with Putin about strengthening the India-Russia ties.
This tweet from Modi came in the wake of American President Donald Trump slapping India with unprecedented and exorbitant tariffs of 50 per cent — the highest rates the USA has imposed on any country — for its purchases of Russian oil. India had termed this action “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable”. Trump had also launched a broadside against India in a series of tweets. In one of those, he ranted that he did not care if India and Russia “take their dead economies down together”.
“Had a very good and detailed conversation with my friend President Putin. I thanked him for sharing the latest developments on Ukraine. We also reviewed the progress in our bilateral agenda, and reaffirmed our commitment to further deepen the India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership. I look forward to hosting President Putin in India later this year. @KremlinRussia_E,” Modi posted on X.
Kasparov quote-tweeted Modi’s post on X and said, “Your friend Vladimir Putin? The genocidal war criminal? Your friend who would sell out you and the entire Indian nation at any time to prolong his dictatorship by one more hour? With friends like that, who needs democracy? Trump is a clown, but stand for something better.”
Amid the tension in ties with the US after President Donald Trump doubled the tariff on India over its purchase of Russian oil, Modi and Putin held a phone conversation on Friday during which they discussed “the latest developments on Ukraine” and “reaffirmed our commitment to further deepen the India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership”.
Modi said he looked forward to hosting Putin in India later this year. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, who travelled to Moscow this week and met Putin, had also said that the President would be visiting India.
The Kremlin, meanwhile, issued a statement indicating a likely meeting between Putin and Trump next week over the war in Ukraine.
The Modi-Putin conversation took place three days after Russia criticised Trump’s tariff action and backed India’s right to choose its trading partners. “Sovereign countries have the right to choose their own trading partners,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
