Putin Lays Out His Worldview: From Power Shifts to Relations With India & US, and Ukraine Crisis

20251204

On the eve of his two-day state visit to New Delhi, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave an extensive interview to India Today, addressing topics ranging from global power shifts and Russia-India relations to the Ukraine conflict, the Middle East, artificial intelligence — and even the question of immortality.

Here are the key takeaways:

On the Changing World Order

The world is constantly changing, but today the speed of change has sharply increased

"You know, the world is developing rapidly, and this pace continues to accelerate, which is clearly visible to everyone — the configuration of the world is changing, new centers of power are emerging, and the balance of power in the world is changing," Putin said in an interview with India Today.

"Everything is changing all the time, the rate of change is different. Now the rate of these changes has increased dramatically. We are witnessing global economic changes, and they have nothing to do with events in Ukraine or other hot spots," Putin said.

The speed of change in the global economy will only increase, he added.

New centers of rapid development are emerging, and the Global South — including South Asia — is rising
Shanghai Cooperation Organization countries "never gather to outsmart anyone" — their agenda is positive and cooperative

"The fact remains that new centers of rapid and powerful development are emerging. They are forming, in particular, in the Global South. I mean South Asia. Not only India, but Indonesia is thriving," Putin said.

On Relations With India

"Our partnership with India covers such areas as space exploration, energy, especially nuclear energy, which is illustrated by the well-known nuclear power plant project, shipbuilding and aviation. There are many interesting areas for future-oriented cooperation. Take artificial intelligence, for example. We will probably discuss it further," Putin said.

Putin said that he is convinced that his meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be interesting and useful.

"We are currently working with Prime Minister Naredra Modi... I am looking forward to this meeting. I am sure that it will be very interesting and useful," Putin said in an interview with India Today.

Putin added that he would very much like for the national goals of Russia and India to coincide, allowing them to combine efforts and achieve maximum results.

Putin stressed that he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi never make policy against anyone — only in the interests of Russia and India

"We do not harm others. I believe that leaders of other countries should understand this," Putin said.

Russia and India are full allies in combating terrorism

"Russia has repeatedly faced violent terrorism in its recent history. In these matters... We fully support India's fight against terrorism," Putin said.

It is necessary to fight terrorism using legal means, Putin underscored.
India remains a trusted defense partner; Russia not only sells weapons but shares technologies
Indian military specialists, thanks to close ties with Russia, understand exactly how and when each system should be used

Russia's sharing of defense technology with India speaks to level of trust between two countries, Putin said, adding that Indian military experts, thanks to close ties with Russia, clearly understand circumstances in which they need certain weapons.

"India produces our famous T-90 tanks. Believe me when I tell you that these tanks are considered to be among the best in the world," Putin said in an interview.

Russian oil companies view Indian partners as reliable; oil supplies to India remain steady

Putin said that Russia-India energy cooperation is not affected by the current situation or events in Ukraine. "Our energy cooperation with India remains unaffected by current conditions, fleeting political fluctuations, or events in Ukraine," Putin said in an interview with India Today.

"The Indian government does not impose restrictions on our mutual trade. Why? Because they need oil and petroleum products. The Indian government needs to expand its purchases of Russian fertilizers, as they are essential for Indian farmers," Putin said.Putin trailed important upcoming statements on nuclear cooperation following the bilateral talks

He asked why India should not have the right to buy Russian fuel when the US does

On Relations With the US

The US is actively looking for a solution to the Ukraine conflict

"Let me emphasize once again. The US may have various reasons. Humanitarian ones—for Trump personally, since he generally wants to end the fighting and prevent further loss of life. But there may also be political interests related to ending the standoff between Russia and Ukraine, or economic motives—incidentally, in the energy sector and other areas," Putin said.

Both the US and Donald Trump have their own reasons for wanting the conflict resolved quickly
Trump, like Russia, acts according to his own interests; his decisions "do not come out of thin air"

"You know, he pursues his own policy, and he has advisers. His decisions are not made out of the blue. He has advisers who believe that the implementation of such a tariff policy, involving the imposition of additional duties on trading partners, ultimately benefits the US economy," Putin said.

Putin declined to give his opinion on Trump, saying that judgment belongs to US voters
There are many areas where restoring Russia-US economic ties would benefit both sides
US companies have sent letters asking Moscow "not to forget them"
The US still buys nuclear fuel from Russia

On the Ukraine Crisis

"This is not about victory — it is about protecting our interests and protecting people"
Russia did not start the war: the 2014 coup was condoned by the West, which "unleashed a war against Russia with Ukrainian nationalists"

Russia did not start this war, but a coup was condoned by the West, Putin said, adding that Russia has been trying to resolve the situation in Ukraine by peaceful means for eight years.

Russia tried for eight years to resolve the situation peacefully
The situation in Ukraine is not about winning but about protecting interests and people
The special military operation was "not the start of a war, but an attempt to end it"

"The special military operation is an attempt to end the war that the West unleashed using Ukrainian nationalists," Putin said.

The Ukrainian authorities "have driven themselves into a corner"
Ukraine believes NATO membership will benefit it, while Russia sees it as a threat — Ukraine cannot secure its safety at Russia's expense

"Every state, including Ukraine, has the right to choose ways to ensure its security. Are we denying Ukraine this? No. But this should not be done at the expense of Russia's security," Putin said.

Ukraine believes it will benefit from joining NATO, but Russia believes it will threaten its security, Putin said.

Russia did not annex Crimea, but came to the aid of people who did not want to connect their lives with those who staged a coup in Ukraine

"We did not need to acquire an important port in Crimea because it was already ours. Our navy, under an agreement with Ukraine, was already stationed at this port in Sevastopol. That is the fact," Putin said.

"We always protect our interests and our people," Putin said.

On the Middle East

The only solution to the Palestinian issue is to implement UN resolutions
Creating an independent Palestinian state is the key to resolving the Gaza crisis
Russia has always participated in resolving the Palestinian question within the UN framework and will continue to do so with its partners

"We are not proposing any particular plan. We have always proceeded from the premise that, in order to resolve the Palestinian issue, it is necessary to implement the decisions made over many years by the United Nations. And the most important of these is the creation of an independent Palestinian state. This is the key to solving all problems," Putin said.

Russia has always participated in resolving the Palestinian issue within the UN framework and will continue to do so together with its friends, the Russian president added.

"What has been accomplished up to this point was accomplished by [US] President [Donald] Trump, primarily the return of the Israeli hostages. I think, frankly, this was the most important step taken in resolving the Palestinian conflict," Putin said.

Other Key Statements

Russia is the manufacturer of the world's most modern and reliable equipment for nuclear power plants

"Russia is the manufacturer of the world's most modern and reliable equipment for nuclear power plants," Putin said.

"[Russian state nuclear corporation] Rosatom, more than any other company in the world, builds and operates nuclear reactors for nuclear power plants abroad - 22 nuclear power units," Putin said.

Western claims that Russia dreams of restoring the USSR are just fear-mongering aimed at their own populations

"They are doing this, that is, telling their population about the threat of a revived Soviet Union, with a purpose of frightening their own people. They are abusing their monopoly over global media," Putin said.

Meanwhile, certain countries are making the same mistakes today as the ones the Soviet Union made in the past, the Russian leader noted.

"The Soviet Union, at a certain point, reached a state where its leadership, and perhaps even ordinary citizens, believed it was so powerful that nothing could ever happen to it, under any circumstances. And this idea of greatness is precisely what makes a country start making one mistake after another, thinking everything is fine. Yes, we made a mistake here and allowed a small error there, but we are so great that it will always pass, we will survive it. Yet the number of mistakes grows like an avalanche, and they become increasingly difficult to manage. I see that the same thing is happening today with certain other countries," Putin said, but declined to provide any examples.

Therefore, Western politicians who claim that Russia is seeking to bring back the Soviet Union are simply trying to scare their own population, the Russian leader added.

It is better not to judge the effectiveness of foreign intelligence services, but Putin is satisfied with Russian intelligence
Artificial intelligence, like any technological breakthrough, can be used for good or for harm
On immortality: "Everything is finite; only God is eternal"

NEWSLETTER

Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list