Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi for a two-day visit, holding crucial talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi today (Friday) to strengthen decades-old strategic ties and significantly boost bilateral trade.
This marks Putin’s first visit in four years, occurring at a sensitive time for India.
While India remains Russia’s largest buyer of weapons and seaborne oil despite Western sanctions, New Delhi is simultaneously negotiating a critical trade agreement with the US after Washington imposed 50% tariffs.
Analysts note that India is in a difficult diplomatic spot, balancing relations between Moscow and Washington.
The core agenda for the two leaders is to deepen cooperation in key sectors like civil nuclear energy and labor. Moscow has stated its ambition to increase bilateral trade to $100 billion by 2030 by importing a greater variety of Indian goods. India dramatically increased its purchase of discounted Russian crude oil after the Ukraine war prompted European nations to reduce their reliance on Russian energy.
The visit included a warm reception for President Putin by PM Modi upon arrival on Thursday, followed by a dinner at the Prime Minister’s residence. The Russian delegation, which included Defence Minister Andrei Belousov, met with his Indian counterpart, Rajnath Singh.
The Indian Defence Ministry reported that Russia has offered to assist India in achieving self-sufficiency in defence production.
The talks are expected to conclude with the announcement of new agreements designed to project the “strong” relationship between the two nations, even as India continues to call for peace and diplomacy regarding the Ukraine conflict.
