India Hosts Putin as Strategic Moscow-Delhi Ties Deepen Amid Ukraine War and Building US Pressure
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi on Thursday evening for a tightly choreographed two-day state visit. This marks a significant reaffirmation of the India–Russia strategic partnership at a time of deepening geopolitical rifts and growing divergence between India and the West over Ukraine.
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| Image Source: PM NaMo |
The visit comes at a time when India–US relations have faced visible strain, with tensions emerging around Ukraine diplomacy, defence alignment, and global leadership postures.
Against this backdrop, the Putin-Modi summit on Friday is expected to focus on expanding bilateral defence cooperation, shielding Russia–India trade from secondary sanctions and financial chokepoints, and exploring new areas of cooperation, including nuclear energy technologies such as small modular reactors.
According to Indian and Russian officials, the two sides are preparing a wide range of agreements—both intergovernmental and commercial--with at least ten government-level deals and over fifteen memorandums of understanding in final stages of negotiation.
These include agreements in sectors ranging from shipping and fertilisers to health, education, and culture, signalling that the India–Russia relationship is evolving beyond its traditional defence-heavy structure.
Vladimir Putin and Narendra Modi share a moment of appreciation for the welcome dance
— RT (@RT_com) December 4, 2025
Then it's time for business https://t.co/LuP9r5bjWR pic.twitter.com/IMmA3IYLWU
Modi and Putin last met in-person in 2022 on the sidelines of the SCO summit but have remained in close contact, with five phone calls in 2024 alone. The personal warmth between the two leaders was visibly on display Thursday evening as they left the airport in the same vehicle for a private dinner--an unscheduled break from protocol.
Putin's delegation includes several top-level ministers and senior defence and trade officials, with Russian defence minister Andrei Belousov already co-chairing the 22nd session of the Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and Military Technical Cooperation with his Indian counterpart, Rajnath Singh.
During the meeting, both sides reaffirmed the “time-tested” nature of bilateral ties, with Singh highlighting that cooperation has not only survived but matured despite “geopolitical uncertainty.” Belousov added that Russia continues to work closely with India in shaping the future of its armed forces, including in areas of naval and aerospace technology.
The summit also takes place as Russia faces increasing isolation from Western institutions, sanctions on its financial systems, and military pressure in Ukraine. Putin’s arrival in India is being seen in Moscow as a major diplomatic win, not only because India is a key defence partner and major buyer of Russian energy but also because Delhi has resisted calls to distance itself from Moscow over the Ukraine war.
India has abstained in key UN votes, continued to import discounted Russian crude in large volumes, and held back from endorsing G7 narratives on sanctions and Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty.
For New Delhi, the visit reinforces its autonomous foreign policy approach, particularly its insistence on “strategic autonomy” and multi-alignment--principles that have increasingly diverged from the binary expectations of the West.
🚨🇷🇺🇮🇳 Putin touches down in New Delhi, welcomed personally by Prime Minister Modi at the airport pic.twitter.com/ZWu7k45Mgv
— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) December 4, 2025
In a notable development ahead of Putin’s arrival, defence minister Singh welcomed the start of free trade negotiations between India and the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union, saying they represent a new frontier in the commercial partnership.
Moscow is also expected to push for long-term energy deals, expanded payment mechanisms in national currencies to bypass SWIFT restrictions, and stronger technology transfers in defence manufacturing.
On Friday, the Russian president will formally launch the Indian channel of state broadcaster RT and attend a business event hosted jointly by FICCI and Roscongress, before participating in a state banquet hosted by Indian President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Security for the visit has been unprecedented. A multi-tier grid involving Delhi Police, central agencies, SWAT teams and sniper units has been deployed across the capital, and airspace surveillance systems remain fully active.
A threatening email received in Rajasthan’s Ajmer district Thursday afternoon prompted a major search operation at the Ajmer Sharif dargah and at the Kudankulam nuclear facility in Tamil Nadu.
No explosives were found, but security personnel including anti-terror squads, bomb disposal units, and sniffer dogs were deployed in large numbers.
Authorities have confirmed that entry into the shrine was suspended and a probe is under way to trace the source of the threat.
🚨🚗 Putin and Modi head for informal meeting, kicking their conversation right inside the car pic.twitter.com/3CGtqbXpzy
— Sputnik India (@Sputnik_India) December 4, 2025
Putin’s trip is also intended to send a message to domestic and international audiences that Russia retains powerful allies beyond its immediate orbit. His engagement with India--an influential member of the G20, BRICS, and the Global South--comes as Western countries step up diplomatic efforts to isolate Moscow on the global stage.
American officials have expressed unease with India’s deepening energy and defence transactions with Russia, and Western think tanks have raised concerns about the longer-term implications of New Delhi’s balancing act.
Yet Indian officials have consistently rejected any alignment pressure, with the Ministry of External Affairs describing the Putin visit as an opportunity “to review progress in bilateral relations, outline the vision for the future of the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership, and exchange views on regional and global developments.”
⚡️ UP CLOSE: Friends PM Modi & President Putin Enjoy A Traditional Indian Dance Ahead Of A Private Dinner Together At Hyderabad House
— RT_India (@RT_India_news) December 4, 2025
📹 Zarubin / Telegram pic.twitter.com/TJCXAsgtEE
Among the expected talking points in Friday’s summit is Ukraine, though officials have not publicly confirmed the agenda. With renewed American diplomatic activity seeking to restart stalled talks with Moscow, observers say India could use the meeting to reinforce its position as a potential bridge between Russia and the West.
However, analysts expect Delhi to tread cautiously, focusing instead on the more immediate goals of diversifying trade mechanisms, protecting defence procurements, and expanding its regional influence without compromising its global standing.
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India Hosts Putin as Strategic Moscow-Delhi Ties Deepen Amid Ukraine War and Building US Pressure