Putin's visit to India during Ukraine peace efforts: What's planned?

New Delhi Russian President Vladimir Putin has begun a visit to India, his first since the onset of Russias war in Ukraine over four years ago. His brief 30-hour trip comes as attempts by the United States to push for a resolution to the conflict have faltered.

The visit occurs during heightened tensions between Washington and New Delhi, with the US imposing tariffs and threatening sanctions in response to Indias longstanding ties with Russia and its significant purchases of Russian crude during the Ukraine war. This has intensified Indias delicate balancing act between maintaining relations with Russia and staying on good terms with the West.

India has historically avoided binding alliances with major powers, leading the non-aligned movement during the Cold War, while gradually strengthening ties with the Soviet Union from the 1960s. Since the Cold War, India has expanded strategic and military cooperation with the US, yet continues to maintain strong relations with Russia. The war in Ukraine, however, has complicated this balance, making Putins visit an important indicator of how Prime Minister Narendra Modi intends to manage Indias competing international relationships.

Putin is scheduled to arrive Thursday evening for a private dinner with Modi at the prime ministers residence in New Delhi. On Friday morning, he will attend a ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan, meeting President Droupadi Murmu, followed by a visit to Mahatma Gandhis memorial, Raj Ghat. Later, he and Modi will convene at Hyderabad House for the latest India-Russia summit, followed by meetings with business leaders and a state banquet in his honor.

The Kremlin described the visit as of great importance, providing an opportunity to comprehensively discuss the extensive agenda of Russian-Indian relations as a particularly privileged strategic partnership. Accompanying Putin will be Defence Minister Andrei Belousov and senior representatives from Russian industry, including top executives from Rosoboronexport, Rosneft, and Gazprom Neft.

This trip marks the resumption of the traditional annual India-Russia summit, which was disrupted in 2022 following Russias invasion of Ukraine and again in 2023 due to geopolitical pressures at the G20 summit. Modi visited Russia in 2024, and now Putin returns to India after four years.

Analysts anticipate that Putin will push for deeper defense cooperation, including the sale of missile systems and fighter jets, while exploring trade expansion in pharmaceuticals, machinery, and agriculture. Experts suggest that the summit will also serve as a platform for Russia to demonstrate its global connections despite international pressures related to the war in Ukraine.

However, the oil trade, a core component of India-Russia relations, is under scrutiny. India became a major buyer of Russian crude after 2022, but US tariffs and sanctions targeting Russian oil companies have begun affecting Indian imports, which are expected to drop to a three-year low. Meanwhile, India has increased natural gas imports from the US and faces pressure to diversify its defense purchases away from Russia.

Despite these challenges, India-Russia defense ties remain strong. Russia continues to supply over a third of Indias arms imports, and systems like the S-400 have been crucial in recent military operations. India is exploring further purchases, including additional S-400 systems and Su-57 fighter jets.

Trade between India and Russia has surged since 2022, reaching nearly $69 billion this year, driven largely by oil imports. Indian exports remain much smaller, creating a significant trade deficit. With oil imports expected to decline, achieving the 2030 $100 billion trade target now seems unlikely. Both nations are also considering labor migration from India to Russia to strengthen economic and people-to-people ties.

Analysts note that the broader tension in India-Russia relations stems from Indias desire to maintain strong ties with the US while engaging Russia. A potential resolution to the Ukraine conflict could ease these geopolitical challenges.

Author: Grace Ellison