00:00The countdown has begun just under one hour to go for that world-exclusive interview of the Russian President Vladimir Putin by India Today's Geeta Mohan and Anjana Om Kashyap.
00:12And he's taken all questions. You would want to know what next when it comes to the Russia-Ukraine war.
00:19What next when it comes to President Trump's post-Alaska meeting engagement with President Putin.
00:26Remember, President Trump's special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, they were in Moscow, in Kremlin when this interview was being filmed and of course was being shot.
00:39And then President Putin has just arrived in India. He's meeting his old friend Narendra Modi and he said so.
00:44I'm looking forward to meeting my old friend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India.
00:48They are two very strong leaders. Their vision taking India-Russia relationship forward.
00:56So far, defence and strategy were key areas where this relationship was on an even keel.
01:03Now the effort is economic cooperation, business cooperation, people-to-people cooperation because that's required to give a new impetus to this relationship.
01:13So what's their vision? There's a big business delegation that's accompanying the Russian President.
01:18We'll talk about that in greater detail.
01:20But first, all eyes, all eyes across the world on this India Today exclusive interview.
01:26And I want to begin by asking you just to listen in to what President Putin spoke of about his visit to India and meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
01:37From Atil Bihari Vajpayee to Manmohan Singh to Narendra Modi.
01:46He's seen the world change right in front of him.
01:57Undoubtedly one of the most influential politicians of the world.
02:00He's a very compelling and enigmatic figure on the world stage.
02:08The President of the Russian Federation for you.
02:10So what is the Russian President thinking about the Russia-Ukraine war?
02:24What's the road ahead?
02:25In this India Today, world exclusive, global exclusive, we bring you an interview of unprecedented access and significance.
02:32For the first time on world television, Russian President Vladimir Putin, he speaks candidly and he's spoken at length.
02:38He wants to speak for about an hour.
02:41This interview lasted more than one and a half hours.
02:44The interview airs in about 55 minutes from now.
02:48President Putin, his comments on US President Donald Trump's tariff pressure tactics on India.
02:53The way America was trying to arm twist India not to be so close to Russia.
02:58Did that really work?
03:00When you look at those images at the Palam technical area in Delhi,
03:04when the Russian President's aircraft arrived and the images that you will see tomorrow,
03:08clearly pressure tactics have not worked on India.
03:11It's a very clear, it's a forceful message.
03:14President Putin underscores Russia's support for India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
03:19And of course, vice versa is something that you will see.
03:22So, in this pointed observation, he emphasizes India is a major global power.
03:28India is no longer some British colony.
03:31No longer some former British colony and that the West cannot talk down to India.
03:37Cannot be addressed in the manner in which India may have been addressed by the West 77 years ago.
03:42And he's saying why, he's also explaining why.
03:45He says, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not the one to give in to pressure.
03:50But my question to you now would be about defence.
04:05And India continues to be the biggest defence buyer.
04:09Roughly 38% of the market from Russia is bought by India.
04:14My question to you, sir, is in view of the sanctions by the US or the tariffs they have laid on India,
04:21the arm-twisting methods that are being adopted, and I name it, it's America.
04:26How do you plan to circumvent all this?
04:29Will you pull back or push harder?
04:31Well, I think both the world and India have seen that one cannot talk to India the way they used to talk to it 77 years ago.
04:52India is a great power, not an English or British colony, and everyone will have to take that into account.
04:59And moreover, the head of the Indian government, Prime Minister Modi, is not one to give in to pressure.
05:06The Indian nation can take pride in the Prime Minister.
05:10It's evident Prime Minister Modi has a firm position, which is not, however, confrontational, nor are we going to enter into confrontation with anyone.
05:20We are simply trying to defend our legitimate interests, and that is exactly what India is doing.
05:26What are the obstacles?
05:27There's transactions and payments, but more than 90% of our transactions are carried out in national currencies.
05:34There are certain difficulties, of course, because there are intermediaries, but there are solutions to that,
05:39because we can transition to using the systems for financial messaging systems, which we have offered by the Bank of Russia and our Indian counterparts.
05:52And we are doing this work steadily, and those who are taking steps to limit the economic cooperation of third parties, sooner or later, will incur losses.
06:08And I think once this understanding settles in completely and fully, then this practice of pressure from outside is gone.
06:22So, just under 55 minutes to go for that India Today world exclusive to play out.
06:36We will tell you what President Vladimir Putin is thinking.
06:40So, 53 minutes to go.
06:42That biggest global exclusive.
06:44I also want to bring into this conversation, General Deepak Kapoor, former Chief of Army Staff, joining me on this broadcast with me.
06:51Sandeep Unnithan stays with me on this broadcast, as does my colleague, Preeti Chaudhary.
06:55General Kapoor, welcome as always.
06:58Your view of what President Putin said about Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
07:03and the fact that you cannot talk down to India today the way you could 77 years ago.
07:09Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not the one to give into pressure.
07:14Thank you, Gaurav.
07:15I tend to agree with what President Putin said, and it implies that India today is a growing power,
07:24and therefore it can hold its own on the world arena.
07:27And to that extent, President Putin has said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would stand his ground if he has to in national interest,
07:38which I feel definitely he would do so and ensure that the Indian interests are best served while interacting at the regional as well as the global level.
07:50OK?
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