Putin gets his moment as Modi and Xi finally break the ice

Vladimir Putin got exactly what he’s been working toward when Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping sat down on Sunday in Tianjin, China, for a rare one-on-one meeting during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.

This is the first time in seven years that Modi has been to China, and the first time since their 2020 border clash that both leaders have publicly agreed to fix their damaged ties.

They both said India and China are not rivals but “development partners,” and the goal now is to reduce tensions and improve trade. The quote came straight from a video posted on Modi’s official X account.

The discussion happened as global tariffs took center stage again. Just days before the summit, Donald Trump, now back in the White House, imposed a 50% tariff on Indian goods.

Trump’s move came in response to India’s continued oil imports from Russia. The timing forced Modi’s hand: instead of leaning West, he leaned East, sitting with Xi to cool things off.

The meeting was part of a two-day gathering where leaders from Iran, Pakistan, and four Central Asian countries joined Putin in pushing what’s being called a Global South alternative to the U.S.-led world order. According to CNBC, this wasn’t a side event—it was the main event, and Putin had a front row seat.

Modi tells Xi he wants better trade, stable borders

Modi used the sit-down to press Xi on India’s lopsided trade deficit with China, which hit a record $99.2 billion this year. That figure has been a sore spot for Indian officials for years, and the prime minister made it clear he wants something done.

But trade wasn’t the only topic. Modi said India is “committed to progressing our relations based on mutual respect, trust and sensitivities,” and that he believes the current situation on the Himalayan border is more stable now than it has been since the 2020 standoff. “Peace and stability” were the words he used.

But serious tensions remain. Beijing is still moving forward with a massive dam project in Tibet that Delhi says could cut water flow in the Brahmaputra River by up to 85% during the dry season. The estimate comes from Indian government officials.

On top of that, India still hosts the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader who Beijing considers a dangerous separatist. Meanwhile, Pakistan, India’s biggest rival, continues to enjoy full support from Xi’s government across diplomacy, military, and trade.

Putin, who’s spent years behind the scenes trying to cool things down between New Delhi and Beijing—especially through BRICS—finally saw real movement. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters that Putin had a “very effective” and “detailed” talk with Xi before the SCO summit began.

The meeting happened in Tianjin, the same city where the summit is taking place. Ushakov also said that Putin shared what he and Xi discussed, including recent talks between Moscow and Washington.

Putin adds more talks at banquet, builds side deals

Putin landed in China earlier Sunday for a four-day visit, with the SCO summit being his main stop. Later that evening, during a banquet to welcome the visiting leaders, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin and Xi had another “long” conversation.

This wasn’t a one-off. Putin used the banquet to line up additional meetings with other leaders. Peskov confirmed that Putin had already agreed to hold separate bilateral meetings with several heads of state and government while still at the dinner table.

That’s the playbook. Putin stays in the room, works the sidelines, and gets India and China to break the ice while the U.S. locks itself out with tariffs.

Every part of this moment—the Modi-Xi meeting, the Trump trade war, the Brahmaputra tensions, and the private Russia-China talks—was shaped by realignment, not by speeches. And it all happened with Putin at the center of it, no fanfare needed.

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