St Petersburg, June 6 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has strongly backed India's strategic autonomy, asserting that any Western sanctions threats against New Delhi would "boomerang immediately" and affirming that the South Asian nation has consistently been "guided by its national interests".

The Russian president emphasised that India remains entirely free to select global products that "they consider to be most up to date, most applicable for them and obviously offering the best price-quality ratio".

Speaking at the annual St Petersburg International Economic Forum, President Putin lauded the robust trajectory of New Delhi's global engagements.

"India always acts as a sovereign country and under the leadership of Prime Minister ...