Putin Unhappy As 'Bear' In India-China-Russia Ties? Says 'Perhaps There Should Be A Tiger' Watch

(MENAFN- Live Mint) 'A tiger for Russia's Far East'? Russian president Vladimir Putin, while discussing Russia-India-China (RIC) ties, joked that a 'tiger' could have represented his nation instead of the 'bear' amid the popular“dragon and elephant dance” which Chinese President Xi had coined to describe the relations between the two Asian nations.

Speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum 2025, Putin said that the 'bear' had been added by the media after President Xi Jinping came up with the 'dragon-elephant' analogy.

"Of course, "bear" is a symbol of Russia, but we are here - the far east, and the biggest tiger in the world is the local breed here", Putin said, referring to the Amur tiger or Siberian tiger.

Putin on RIC ties

“Our relationship with Asia-Pacific and Global South not conditioned by current geopolitical environment, we've had shared interests for decades,” Putin further said on RIC ties.

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When asked that the bear as a symbol is kind of a 'husky animal', Putin mentioned the United States' symbol, which is a double-headed eagle. Taking a subtle dig, he said that it looks to the West and the East but, "there is also south, you know".

'Dragon and the Elephant'

Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Putin at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin earlier this week, amid both Asian nations facing Trump's tariffs.

At the meeting, Xi had said that it is important for the“dragon and the elephant to come together."

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"The World is going towards transformation. China and India are two of the most civilizational countries. We are the world's two most populous countries and part of the Global South... It is vital to be friends, a good neighbour, and the Dragon and the Elephant to come together...," Xi Jinping had said.

On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters that he had briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi about his talks with US President Donald Trump in Alaska's Anchorage, during a ride together in his Russian-made Aurus car on the sidelines of SCO Summit.

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