Russia's Vladimir Putin Likely To Visit India On December 5-6, To Meet PM Modi

Russian President Vladimir Putin is likely to arrive in India on December 5-6 for a summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as ties between the countries grow closer after the United States imposed punitive tariffs on New Delhi over its purchases of Russian oil, sources said.

The high-level visit was first announced during National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval's Moscow visit in August, but at the time, the dates were not finalised. The Russian President later met PM Modi at the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in China, where the two leaders held an hour-long conversation in Putin's limousine.

The Visit Timing

The tour's announcement comes amid heightened tensions between New Delhi and Washington over India's trade relations with Russia. US President Donald Trump has slapped 25 per cent tariffs on Indian goods as punishment for New Delhi's purchases of Russian oil. Washington has claimed the measure is part of a campaign to pressure Moscow into ending its offensive in Ukraine.

India has, meanwhile, argued it imported oil "from Russia because traditional supplies were diverted to Europe after the outbreak of the conflict".

Energy incomes are a key source of revenue for Moscow's state budget. Ukraine's Western allies have sought to cut Russia's export earnings since Moscow launched its military assault in February 2022. But Russia has been able to redirect energy sales away from Europe to countries including India and China, ensuring the multi-billion-dollar flow of funds has continued.

India-Russia Ties

India and Russia have shared a long-standing relationship, with bilateral trade and investment ties dating back to the Soviet era. Over the years, the two nations have strengthened their economic cooperation, with bilateral trade reaching unprecedented heights.

Russia is one of India's top arms suppliers. Since the start of the war nearly four years ago, India has also become one of the biggest importers of Russian oil. 

President Putin's visit can serve as a high-stakes moment in India's geopolitical strategy. The timing-- conveniently coinciding with Trump's tariff imposition -- could reinforce the resilience of the Indo-Russian ties, even as New Delhi seeks to manage its complex relations with Washington.

Putin has significantly curtailed his foreign travel amid the offensive on Ukraine, for which he was slapped with an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant. India is not a party to the ICC and, therefore, not obligated to detain the Russian leader.