Bloomberg: Indian Prime Minister scraps annual meeting with Putin over his threats to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi refused to hold an annual face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin after Putin threatened to use nuclear weapons in the war against Ukraine, Bloomberg reported, citing sources.

A senior official familiar with the matter said that "India-Russia relations remain strong, but trumpeting friendship at this stage may not be to Modi's advantage."

Over the past two decades, the leaders of Russia and India have met 21 times, the agency noted.

• Vladimir Putin regularly threatens to use nuclear weapons. On February 24, during an address to the Russians in connection with the outbreak of the war, the Russian president said that those who decide to intervene in what is happening are waiting for an answer that they "have never encountered in their history." In September, Putin said that in the event of a threat to territorial integrity, Russia would use "every means at its disposal."
• After the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine and the imposition of Western sanctions, Russia tried to redirect exports to countries that did not support the sanctions. Trade with India increased by 310%, with Turkey - by 198%, with China - by 64%. At the same time, as The New York Times found out , trade with some EU countries also increased: with Belgium - by 81%, with Spain - by 57%.