‘Make in India gets Russian backing’: EAM Jaishankar on defence, trade and energy with Russian FM Lavrov

Jaishankar says India-Russia Partnership is experiencing consolidation as well as exploring new domains and opportunities.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, after talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow, described India–Russia ties as “the steadiest of the major relationships in the world after the Second World War.”

At the joint press briefing, Jaishankar stressed that the relationship was not just historical but continued to evolve across trade, defence, energy, and geopolitical dialogue.

Push for balanced trade

Jaishankar underlined the need to correct the trade imbalance, noting that Indian exports to Russia remain relatively low compared to imports.

Moscow | During a press briefing, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar says, "...We are not the biggest purchasers of Russian oil, that is China. We are not the biggest purchasers of LNG, that is the European Union. We are not the country which has the biggest trade surge… pic.twitter.com/pbH06HtTwK

— ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2025

“We reaffirmed our shared ambition to expand bilateral trade in a balanced and sustainable manner, including by increasing India’s exports to Russia,” he said.

The minister highlighted that addressing non-tariff barriers and regulatory hurdles would be crucial, and pointed to agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and textiles as sectors with strong potential for Indian exports.

Oil purchases: India rejects Western criticism

On energy, Jaishankar dismissed accusations that India’s oil imports from Russia undermine global stability.

“We are not the biggest purchasers of Russian oil, that is China. We are not the biggest purchasers of LNG, that is the European Union.

We are not the country which has the biggest trade surge with Russia after 2022,” he said, adding that even the U.S. had urged India in the past to buy Russian oil to stabilise markets.

Jaishankar also noted that India’s oil imports from the U.S. itself had increased, calling Western criticism “perplexing.”

Defence ties remain robust

On defence, Jaishankar reaffirmed that cooperation remains “robust,” with Russia backing India’s Make in India initiative through joint production and technology transfer.

This, he said, ensures that India’s long-standing defence partnership with Russia adapts to India’s strategic and industrial priorities.

Concern over Indians in Russian Army

The minister raised humanitarian concerns about Indians serving in the Russian military. While many had been released, Jaishankar said pending cases remained unresolved, including reports of missing persons.

“We hope that the Russian side will expeditiously resolve this,” he added.

Regional issues: Ukraine, West Asia, Afghanistan

Both sides also discussed global flashpoints, Ukraine, West Asia, the Middle East, and Afghanistan.

Jaishankar reiterated India’s stance that dialogue and diplomacy remain essential to resolving conflicts.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on Thursday to review political and economic ties, amid U.S. pressure on India over its energy and defence trade with Russia.

Lavrov opened the talks by saying, “We are glad to see you in Moscow. I know you had a busy schedule yesterday with Deputy PM Denis Manturov for the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Affairs, which was successful. Today I hope we will have an opportunity to discuss political matters.”

VIDEO | Moscow: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar interacts with Lavrov Sergey Viktorovich, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

Lavrov Sergey Viktorovich says, “We are glad to see you in Moscow. I know you had a busy schedule here yesterday. You had a… pic.twitter.com/xvWGXkCObO

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 21, 2025

Calling the partnership with India “special,” Lavrov added, “We define our relations as a special strategic partnership, and this was defined by our leaders. I hope we fully justify these links. We see a special importance in our international relations as we see the emergence of a new architecture, a multipolar system with an increasing role played by the SCO, BRICS and the G20. The United Nations remains a platform for cooperation and compromise, and Russia supports balanced approaches. I am very glad to see you and I hope for fruitful talks today.”

Jaishankar’s agenda: ‘Doing more and doing differently’

Responding to Lavrov, Jaishankar said, “It’s a pleasure to see you again in Moscow. I thank you for your warm welcome and hospitality. Today’s meeting provides an opportunity to discuss our political relationship and review our bilateral ties. I look forward to an exchange of views on politics, trade, economic investment, defence, science and technology, and of course, people-to-people exchanges.”

Moscow, Russia: EAM S. Jaishankar says, "It's a pleasure to see you again in Moscow. I thank you for your warm welcome and hospitality... Today's meeting provides an opportunity to discuss our political relationship and review our bilateral ties. I look forward to an exchange of… pic.twitter.com/QMFhvzrdql

— IANS (@ians_india) August 21, 2025

He noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin had met during last year’s annual summit and again in Kazan. “We now prepare for the Annual Summit at the end of the year, and they have always given us guidance to take forward our special and privileged strategic partnership,” Jaishankar said.

#WATCH | External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and Russian FM Lavrov meet in Moscow

EAM Dr S Jaishankar says, "Today's meeting gives an occasion to discuss our political relations as well and also our bilateral ties. ..We now prepare for the annual summit at the end of the… pic.twitter.com/BVYjxKkbLN

— ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2025

The External Affairs Minister also highlighted his meeting with Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Manturov a day earlier, describing it as “very productive.” “We discussed a lot of issues in our bilateral cooperation and found a lot of solutions as well,” he said.

Multipolar framing and shared outlook

Both ministers framed their discussions within the idea of a multipolar world order. Lavrov emphasised the growing weight of multilateral platforms like the SCO, BRICS, G20, and the UN as new centres of power, while Jaishankar stressed the need for “creative and innovative approaches” to expand the agenda of cooperation beyond the “beaten track.”

Why the meeting matters

The talks came at a time of growing strain in India-U.S. relations after President Donald Trump doubled tariffs on Indian goods and criticised New Delhi’s purchase of Russian crude oil. Against that backdrop, both New Delhi and Moscow are seeking to deepen trade, defence and technology ties, and insulate their economic engagement from Western sanctions.

The discussions also touched on expanding the use of national currencies in trade settlements, reducing dependence on the U.S. dollar, and developing financial and logistics systems less vulnerable to “adverse pressures from unfriendly countries,” as the Russian foreign ministry put it.