Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to the leaders of China, India and three ex-Soviet states on Friday in a flurry of calls to brief them on his contacts with the United States about the war in Ukraine.

The 50% tariffs President Trump announced this week were officially designed to drive a wedge between India and Russia, but so far the only rupture they've caused is with the United States. Why it matters: The steep levies over India's purchases of Russian oil are threatening to unravel years of calculated U.

( NewsNation) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone Friday amid tariff uncertainty and rocky relations with the United States. The news comes as Russia reaches a deadline to move toward peace with Ukraine or face additional economic sanctions from the U.S.