Speaking at a SPIEF session moderated by India Today’s Geeta Mohan, Vladimir Putin said Russia remains ready to jointly develop, produce and supply the Su-57 stealth fighter to India, while stressing that bilateral defence ties are built on trust.
President Vladimir Putin on Saturday renewed Russia’s offer to jointly develop and manufacture the fifth-generation Sukhoi Su-57 stealth fighter with India, underscoring Moscow’s willingness to deepen defence cooperation with New Delhi beyond conventional buyer-seller arrangements.
Speaking to India Today’s Group Editor Geeta Mohan on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), Putin said Russia remained open to collaboration on the advanced fighter jet and highlighted the long-standing military partnership between the two countries.
Responding to a question on whether Russia’s offer for collaboration on the Su-57 was still on the table, Putin said that both countries shared a history of close military-technical cooperation dating back to the Soviet era, with a significant portion of the Indian armed forces continuing to operate Russian-origin equipment.
He stressed that bilateral defence ties had evolved beyond procurement and increasingly focused on joint research and development. Citing the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile as a successful example, Putin noted that Indian and Russian experts had worked together on the project from its inception.
“India has traditionally been purchasing our aircraft, both planes and helicopters, from us. The Su-57 is a very good aircraft, probably the most modern one, the most up-to-date in the world as of now, and it is also the most efficient,” Putin said.
The Russian President revealed that Moscow had earlier proposed a joint programme for the fighter aircraft.
“We offered, and I said that to our Indian friends yesterday. We offered we should do that together. Well, it didn’t work out in the past, but we did it on our own, and we stand ready to sell Su-57 even now,” he said.
Putin also highlighted the aircraft’s capabilities, saying, “The Su-57 could be configured with two pilots and could additionally function as a command centre. Russia remained a major player not only in military aviation but also in naval platforms, including submarines and surface vessels”.
Asked whether India would require a waiver from the United States to procure Russian defence systems such as the Su-57 fighter or the S-500 air defence system, Putin said India had consistently acted as a sovereign nation guided by its national interests.
“India always acts as a sovereign country,” the Russian premier said, adding that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, “any potential threats of sanctions would boomerang immediately.”
Recalling a period when Modi was barred from entering the United States, Putin said the Prime Minister had not forgotten those experiences. “Today, all those sanctions have been removed, and India-US relations are developing successfully,” he said.
Defending India’s right to choose its defence partners, Putin said New Delhi was free to procure military equipment that it considered most advanced, suitable and cost-effective. “India is always guided by its national interests,” he said.
Putin also stressed that Russia’s defence ties with India were insulated from political pressures. “Our cooperation with India is not subject to the political environment. Nobody can dictate to us what we should or should not deliver to India. We will always honour our commitments to our partners, especially a partner like India,” he said.
“We are determined to continue working with India in the same spirit and according to the same principles,” the Russian President added.
WHY OFFER MATTERS?
Putin’s remarks came at a time when India is evaluating options to strengthen the Indian Air Force’s fifth-generation fighter capabilities. The IAF currently does not operate any fifth-generation combat aircraft, while concerns have grown over reports that Pakistan could acquire China’s J-35AE stealth fighter.
India’s indigenous fifth-generation fighter programme, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), remains under development and is expected to enter service only in the mid-2030s.
