Putin To Visit India Amid US Sanctions: Dinner, Defence And Diplomacy On Cards
PM Modi will also host a working lunch for Putin and his delegation at Hyderabad House. People familiar with the matter told PTI that Putin is expected to visit Rajghat in the morning.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will begin his two-day visit to India on Thursday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi set to host him for a private dinner shortly after his arrival in New Delhi. The 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit comes at a sensitive moment, as the United States of America has imposed punitive sanctions on New Delhi, placing added focus on how the two countries navigate defence, trade and energy partnerships. Ahead of the visit, Moscow cleared a key defence deal and signalled potential new military cooperation, underscoring the strategic weight of the upcoming talks.
Putin-Modi Summit Agenda
Putin is scheduled to land in New Delhi at around 4:30 pm on Thursday. PM Modi will host him for a private dinner, mirroring the gesture Putin extended during Modi’s visit to Moscow last year. The India-Russia Annual Summit will take place on Friday, December 5, marking Putin’s first visit to India since the war started in Ukraine. According to PTI, the Russian President will receive a ceremonial welcome before the formal talks begin.
PM Modi will also host a working lunch for Putin and his delegation at Hyderabad House, the venue of the summit. People familiar with the matter told PTI that Putin is expected to visit Rajghat in the morning. The summit will cover measures to shield India-Russia trade from US sanctions, an offer on small modular reactors for nuclear energy and deeper defence cooperation.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has indicated that discussions may include the possibility of Russia supplying Su-57 fighter jets to India. India is currently in the process of procuring a batch of fifth-generation fighter aircraft. The two sides are expected to sign agreements, including one facilitating the movement of Indian workers to Russia, and may also discuss New Delhi’s proposed free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union.
Trade, Defence Deals & Geopolitical Concerns
After the summit, Putin will attend a state banquet hosted by President Droupadi Murmu. He will also launch the new India channel of Russia’s state-run broadcaster RT, according to PTI. The meeting is being seen as an opportunity for India to reaffirm its strategic autonomy while revitalising economic and defence ties with Russia.
New Delhi is also likely to raise concerns over the widening trade imbalance created by India’s heavy imports of Russian crude oil. The impact of US sanctions on India’s procurement of Russian oil is expected to be discussed. PTI has reported that Putin may brief Modi on the latest US efforts to broker an agreement between Russia and Ukraine aimed at ending the conflict.
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