VOIWORLD/New Delhi
Russian President Vladimir Putin will arrive in New Delhi on Thursday, December 4, for a high-stakes annual summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, scheduled for Friday, December 5. This will be Putin’s first visit to India since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, reviving a diplomatic tradition that paused after the conflict began.
According to a Kremlin briefing, Putin’s spokesperson Dmitri Peskov said Moscow aims to use the New Delhi summit to safeguard bilateral trade from US sanctions imposed by the Donald Trump administration. Strengthening defence cooperation and expanding nuclear-energy collaboration are also expected to dominate the agenda.
Russia’s State Duma on Tuesday ratified the Reciprocal Exchange of Logistic Support (RELOS) pact, originally signed in February 2024. The agreement enables reciprocal access to logistics and support facilities and is seen as a major step forward in military cooperation. “Our relations with India are strategic and comprehensive… today’s ratification is another step toward reciprocity,” Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said.
Key Focus Areas of the Summit
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Trade insulation from US sanctions: Russia will push for mechanisms to protect India-Russia commerce amid tightening American restrictions.
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Energy cooperation: Moscow is expected to offer small modular nuclear reactors to support India’s clean-energy goals.
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Defence ties: New Delhi and Moscow will explore deepening military collaboration, backed by the newly ratified RELOS pact.
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Strategic autonomy: The meeting is viewed as an opportunity for India to reinforce its independent foreign-policy stance despite US pressure over purchases of Russian oil and defence equipment.
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Labour mobility & trade pact: Both sides have finalised an agreement on skilled and semi-skilled manpower mobility, while talks have begun on a Free Trade Agreement between India and the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union to address tariff and non-tariff barriers.
Putin’s visit is expected to underscore the continued relevance of the India-Russia partnership amid shifting geopolitical alignments, sanctions battles, and intensifying great-power competition.
