Putin assures India of fuel, fertilisers amid disruptions over West Asia crisis | India News - Hindustan Times

**Putin assures India of fuel, fertilisers amid disruptions over West Asia crisis**

Moscow’s president, Vladimir Putin, told Indian officials that Russia will continue to supply essential fuel and fertiliser shipments to New Delhi despite the escalating turmoil in West Asia that has choked regional logistics. In a meeting with Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar in Moscow, Putin pledged to boost Russia’s export of urea and other nitrogen‑based fertilisers, as well as crude oil and refined products, to help offset the shortages caused by sanctions on Iran and the recent Red Sea attacks that have snarled maritime routes. The promise comes as India grapples with rising input costs for its agrarian sector and a tightening global oil market, prompting New Delhi to seek reliable alternatives to sustain its food security and energy needs.

The assurance dovetails with India’s broader diplomatic outreach at the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to meet Putin for the first time in over a decade. Analysts view the meeting as an opportunity to deepen strategic ties and explore further cooperation in energy, defence, and technology. Jaishankar, however, used the same visit to flag India’s sizable trade deficit with Russia, noting that while fertiliser imports have surged, the overall balance of trade remains skewed and calls for more diversified Russian exports to mitigate the gap.

Industry observers say the reaffirmed supply lines could provide a short‑term lifeline, but the longer‑term outlook depends on how quickly the West Asian crisis stabilises and whether sanctions on Russia ease enough to allow unfettered shipments. Moscow has already signalled plans to increase fertiliser output by 10 % this year, and Indian agribusiness groups have welcomed the move, citing the importance of affordable fertilisers for a country that feeds nearly 1.4 billion people. The upcoming SCO summit will likely test the resilience of the Indo‑Russian partnership amid shifting geopolitical currents.