Russian President Vladimir Putin has indicated he hopes to boost economic ties with India amid tighter Western sanctions on Moscow. He also invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Russia.

Putin met Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Moscow on Wednesday.

Putin said trade between Russia and India "is growing for the second year running and at a confident pace." He primarily attributed the growth to energy resources -- namely, oil, petroleum products and coal. But he said "it's not just that."

Putin said "we will be happy to see our friend, Prime Minister Modi in Russia." He said, "We will have an opportunity to discuss the current issues and talk about the prospects for developing Russian-Indian relations."

Jaishankar said Prime Minister Modi "looks forward to visiting Russia next year."

Putin is apparently seeking to bolster relations with emerging and developing nations, collectively known as the Global South, as part of his strategy to counter Western nations amid Russia's protracted invasion of Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Russia's Foreign Ministry on Thursday released the transcript of an interview with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov by the country's state-run TASS news agency.

Lavrov said, "Despite the abortive offensive by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the West continues to send weapons to Kiev."

Lavrov was asked about New START, a nuclear arms control treaty with the United States. Russia unilaterally suspended its participation in the treaty in February. The treaty is due to expire in 2026.

Lavrov said Moscow sent "a clear signal that there will be no dialogue" with the United States on the treaty or reaching an agreement to its replacement "as long as Washington continues with its anti-Russia policies."

Lavrov said "the United States and its allies persist with their efforts to promote escalation in and around Ukraine without hiding their intention of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia."