Why shouldn't India have same privilege as US to buy Russian fuel: Putin

New Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin told broadcaster India Today that if the United States has the right to buy Russian fuel, "why shouldn't India have the same privilege".

Putin's comments were part of an interview with the broadcaster that was due to be aired hours after he landed in New Delhi for summit talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Earlier in the discussion, he said, "Energy cooperation with India is unaffected by current conditions, fleeting political swings, or tragic events in Ukraine."

He also mentioned that 'certain actors' dislike India's growing role in international markets owing to its ties with Russia, reasserting that trade in petroleum products, crude oil, petroleum products for consumers of oil, Russian oil is running smoothly in India.

India Today shared a transcript of the interview with Reuters ahead of its broadcast.