Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold high-level talks today (Friday) in New Delhi with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aimed at boosting trade and expanding defense cooperation. The visit comes at a time when Western sanctions have increased pressure on the long-standing relations between Moscow and New Delhi.
Putin has arrived in India for the first time in four years, while India is simultaneously negotiating a trade agreement with the United States to reduce tariffs imposed on Indian products due to Donald Trump’s objections over India’s purchase of Russian oil.
India is the largest buyer of Russian weapons, and after Russia’s attack on Ukraine, India significantly increased its imports of discounted crude oil from Moscow—following Europe’s reduced reliance on Russian energy. Russia has been India’s biggest defense supplier for decades and now seeks to increase Indian exports to achieve a trade volume of 100 billion dollars by 2030, as the current balance favors Russia due to energy imports.
According to reports, Putin’s visit to India has been warm and cordial. Upon his arrival near New Delhi airport on Thursday night, Modi welcomed him with a warm hug and later hosted a private dinner at his residence. The Russian delegation includes government and business officials, along with Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, who told Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh that Russia’s defense industry is fully ready to help India achieve self-sufficiency in defense production.
It is noteworthy that Putin has previously held talks with Trump’s special envoys for resolving the Ukraine conflict, but without any breakthrough. India has so far avoided openly criticizing Russia for the war and consistently emphasized resolving the issue through dialogue and diplomacy. India also maintains that Western nations continue trade with Russia for their own interests while questioning India’s relations with Moscow.
