As over 20 foreign leaders gathered in China’s Tianjin for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin shared lighter moments with a handshake and a hug. The two leaders, who will be holding a bilateral meeting later today on the sidelines of the Summit, met for the first time after the US imposed 50 per cent tariffs on India over its Russian oil imports.
PM Modi, in a post on X, shared pictures with the Russian leader, saying it is “always a delight to meet him”.
Always a delight to meet President Putin! pic.twitter.com/XtDSyWEmtw
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 1, 2025
Other videos and photos from the SCO Summit venue showed PM Modi, Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping sharing a moment of bonhomie with smiles, handshakes, and hugs. The PM also shared glimpses of their interaction, highlighting the friendly engagement between the three leaders.
“Interactions in Tianjin continue! Exchanging perspectives with President Putin and President Xi during the SCO Summit,” he wrote.