MOSCOW (Reuters) -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.

Both Chinese President Xi Jinping and Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko are among Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest international allies.

US President Donald Trump has sharply criticized India for continuing to buy oil from Russia. In response, he doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50%. He also called India and Russia “dead economies,” a remark that sparked strong reactions in global diplomatic circles.

The White House order did not mention China, which is another big purchaser of Russian oil. Last week, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned China that it could also face n

President Xi Jinping has been keeping a low profile, in sharp contrast to the rough week Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is having. President Donald Trump doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50%, blasting India over its trade surplus with the US,