ALBAWABA- Russian President Vladimir Putin landed in New Delhi on Thursday for a two-day state visit, receiving an unusually warm, personal welcome from Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Palam Airport.
The visit, Putin’s first since 2021, begins with a private dinner at Modi’s residence and culminates in Friday’s 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit, where both sides are expected to sign agreements on defense, energy, and trade.
Talks will center on military cooperation, including timely S-400 deliveries and potential Su-57 sales, even as India reduces its reliance on Russian arms.
Economic discussions aim to shield the $68.7 billion bilateral trade relationship from “external pressures” by expanding rupee-rouble settlements and easing labor mobility for Indian workers in Russia. Putin will also visit Rajghat and launch RT’s India channel before attending a state banquet.
Putin arrives as U.S.-India relations strain under President Trump’s steep August 2025 tariffs, which doubled duties to 50% on $50 billion in Indian exports over New Delhi’s continued purchases of Russian oil.
India has denounced the move as economic coercion, slowing Quad momentum even as negotiations explore possible reductions to 20%.
Regional tensions further complicate the backdrop. The May 2025 Kashmir crisis, sparked by the Pahalgam massacre, led to India’s “Operation Sindoor,” deep strikes into Pakistan, and a dogfight in which Islamabad claimed to have downed five Indian jets, including three Rafales. A U.S.-brokered ceasefire held after four days, though Trump’s claim of personal mediation irritated India and fed tariff escalations.
For Moscow, the Delhi stop underscores a pivot toward BRICS partners after rebuffing new Ukraine talks. For India, it marks another round of Modi’s balancing act, leveraging ties with Russia to maintain strategic autonomy amid intensifying U.S. pressure and a wary eye on China.
