Putin questions US pressure on India’s Russian oil purchases as Modi gives the Russian president a warm welcome.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has questioned Washington’s stance on India’s oil purchases from Moscow, pointing to US imports of Russian nuclear fuel as he began a state visit aimed at strengthening ties between the two nations.

Putin arrived in New Delhi on Thursday evening to a warm airport reception from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who embraced the Russian leader in a rare gesture that underscored their personal rapport.

The visit comes as India faces mounting pressure from US President Donald Trump, who has imposed punitive tariffs on Indian goods over New Delhi’s purchases of discounted Russian crude.

In an interview with Indian broadcasters before his arrival, Putin questioned the logic behind Washington’s criticism.

“The United States itself still buys nuclear fuel from us for its own nuclear power plants,” he said, adding that if the US has the right to buy Russian fuel, India should enjoy “the same privilege”.

Modi posted on social media that he was “delighted to welcome my friend, President Putin to India,” calling their relationship “a time tested one that has greatly benefitted our people”.

After embracing on the tarmac, the two drove together to a private dinner at Modi’s residence.

Delighted to welcome my friend, President Putin to India. Looking forward to our interactions later this evening and tomorrow. India-Russia friendship is a time tested one that has greatly benefitted our people.@KremlinRussia_E pic.twitter.com/L7IORzRfV9

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 4, 2025

Al Jazeera’s Neha Poonia, reporting from New Delhi, said the reception sent a clear message.

“Experts say that the warm reception for President Putin [shows] that he is not a pariah, that there are countries that will accept him despite pressure from western nations,” over Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, she said, adding that Modi wanted to signal “he won’t give into pressure from Donald Trump.”

Putin defended the energy relationship, telling Indian media that cooperation with India “remains unaffected by political swings or the tragic events in Ukraine”.

He accused unnamed actors of seeking to “constrain India for political reasons” due to its growing international role.

The visit highlights India’s delicate balancing act between Moscow and Washington. India’s oil imports from Russia surged from just 2.5 percent of total crude purchases before 2022 to nearly 36 percent currently, making it the world’s second-largest buyer of Russian oil.

🇷🇺🇮🇳 President Vladimir #Putin has arrived in India for a two-day state visit.

The Russian leader received a warm personal welcome from Prime Minister @narendramodi.#DruzhbaDosti pic.twitter.com/jUeufbIdCv

Advertisement

— MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) December 4, 2025

Indian refiners have saved approximately $12.20 per barrel by purchasing discounted Russian crude.

However, Trump has imposed 50 percent tariffs on Indian goods in retaliation, and recent US sanctions on major Russian oil producers have begun forcing Indian refiners to reduce purchases.

Reliance, India’s largest private refiner, has already announced it will stop exporting petroleum products made from Russian crude.

On Friday, Putin and Modi are expected to hold formal summit talks and announce agreements spanning defence cooperation, shipping, healthcare and labour mobility.

Russia is pushing to sell India additional S-400 missile defence systems and Su-57 stealth fighter jets, while both sides aim to reach $100bn in bilateral trade by 2030, though the target now appears distant as oil imports decline.

The creator of AI “actor” Tilly Norwood has admitted she made Norwood “as realistic as possible” to “provoke more of a reaction.”

Eline Van Der Velden, founder and CEO of AI company Particle6, gave some insight into the development of Norwood, who shook Hollywood when she was unveiled earlier this fall. “I wanted to create a character that we could use, because we didn’t want to infringe on anyone’s likeness,” said Van Der Velden, speaking at TV confab Content London. “We wanted to create an original character. That took months and months of — you know, [we] thought of the name and the character and who she was and what she looked like. And it’s, you know, 2000 iterations and really strange things to get to where we got.”

Expanding on those iterations, she said: “There were so many versions of her where she was too beautiful, or, you know, didn’t quite have that girl next door authenticity, right? And ultimately, that’s what made Tilly go around the world.”

However Van Der Velden’s creation quickly received backlash across Hollywood, with unions SAG-AFTRA and Equity along with numerous actors condemning Norwood, while “The Terminator” director James Cameron called the idea of AI performers “horrifying.”

Van Der Velden, who appeared to choose her words carefully as she spoke on the panel about AI on Thursday afternoon, said of Norwood: “I think she also represented a moment in time, I think, where the hit — the industry needed to look at itself and think, ‘Oh, hold on, this is where the tech’s at.’ And I think she showed that.”

Asked by the panel moderator whether the “photo realism” had helped her go around the world, Van Der Velden replied: “We thought about making a half robot … but I chose not to go in that direction because I felt, as an artist, you want to provoke a reaction in the audience, always, in my opinion, and we all agree, if you make content, we’re in this business, and I thought it would provoke more of a reaction if she is as realistic as possible.”

However Van Der Velden was keen to reassure the audience, made up of industry figures, that Norwood is not intended to replace performers. “She’s always meant to stay in the AI genre,” said the creator. “She’s not meant to take real actors’ jobs. That’s not the game. The whole point is this industry is going to grow and we’re developing.”

Bulgaria’s government withdrew an unpopular 2026 draft budget after tens of thousands of angry people took to the streets in the capital, Sofia, and other cities across the country.

The protests have been led mostly by young Bulgarians who claim the government is concealing widespread corruption. Business groups and members of the opposition also say the draft budget would harm Bulgaria’s economy just before it’s set to join the Eurozone in early 2026.

“Gen Z took to the streets because they want to stay in Bulgaria, but they want a renewed, different, corruption-free Bulgaria,” Daniel Lorer, member of Bulgaria’s parliament, told Fox News Digital.

BULGARIA’S SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE’S NATO MEMBERSHIP GROWS STRONGER DURING ZELENSKYY’S VISIT

“They want reforms. The government refused to listen. The budget it proposed simply extended all its previous policies, funded through higher taxes, social security contributions and more debt,” Lorer added.

As the protests continued, Bulgaria’s government, led by Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov, eventually backed down, vowing to drop the most divisive elements of the budget, including tax and social security increases.

The prime minister said a new budget will be proposed at a later date.

“The government saw what the citizens who protesters had to say…I support these people who protest for more rights, more democracy, more justice. We believe that the protest is not so much political, but more of a social, human side, in search of more dialogue, more tolerance, and more harmony in social relations,” Prime Minister Zhelyazkov said at a press conference.

“This is a visible protest of young people, young people who are looking for their place in the future of Bulgaria, which we are obliged to hear, and we are obliged to do what is necessary to be secured with the funds that the country has,” Zhelyazkov added.

The protests were mostly peaceful. However, some masked protesters clashed with police after attacking offices of the ruling party in Sofia.

BULGARIA IMPOSES EU ENTRY BAN ON 2 SUSPECTED RUSSIAN SPIES

Political stability in an EU country, one with a longstanding history with neighboring Russia, is ripe for Moscow’s usual tricks of intervening in the domestic affairs of its former communist bloc allies.

“Russia is always glad to stir unrest. Anything that upsets the democratic process in any EU country is welcome, and even more so in Eastern Europe, their former sphere of influence,” Lorer said.

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, who holds a largely ceremonial position, sided with the opposition and opposed the budget, calling for the resignation of the government and early elections.

The move could risk political gridlock and weaken Bulgaria’s alliance with NATO allies and the EU, Ruslan Stefanov, director for the Center for the Study of Democracy in Sofia, told Fox News Digital.

“Radev, who echoes Kremlin talking points and opposes the Euro, could still sabotage the process despite it being legally irreversible. This is a volatile mix that threatens stability and could invite more unwelcome Russian meddling,” Stefanov said.

Bulgaria, along with Romania, is set to join the Eurozone in January 2026. While joining the Eurozone is seen as a major step in Bulgaria’s political and economic development, the adoption of the currency is unpopular in large segments of society, as fears of inflation and the cost of living hamper the livelihoods of everyday Bulgarians.

FARMERS FLOOD BULGARIA’S CAPITAL PROTESTING EU REGULATIONS, HIGH ENERGY COSTS

Bulgaria, one of the poorest nations in the European Union, joined the EU in 2007 and formally began the process of joining the Eurozone in 2018. The Lev, Bulgaria’s currency, was included in the European Exchange Rate Mechanism in July 2020.

Since announcing that the country will join the monetary union, skepticism has abounded, and many Bulgarians are not convinced that their economic prospects will improve once they are part of the union.

Many experts and observers have concluded that Russia has been behind a persistent social media campaign to stoke opposition and sow doubt and confusion as Bulgaria’s accession date draws near.