Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit India in December, confirms Kremlin
Kremlin official Yuri Ushakov said that Putin will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday during a regional summit in China, where the two leaders are expected to discuss “preparations for the December visit.”
The Kremlin confirmed on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin will make an official visit to India in December to strengthen ties between Moscow and New Delhi, amid US tariffs imposed over India’s purchase of Russian oil. Kremlin official Yuri Ushakov said that Putin will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday during a regional summit in China, where the two leaders are expected to discuss “preparations for the December visit.”
Ajit Doval had confirmed that Putin will visit India
Last month, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval had also confirmed that Putin will visit India, even though the dates were not finalised at that time. “We have got a special, long relationship and we value this relationship," he had said.
Notably, Ajit Doval had visited Russia to hold crucial talks on bilateral energy and defence ties and his visit to Russia came amid tensions between India and the US over additional 25 per cent tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump on India due to New Delhi's continued purchase of Russian oil.
Putin's India visit comes amid Trump's tariff tensions
The development comes after US President Donald Trump imposed 50% tariff on imports from India, citing New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian oil as the reason for the punitive measure.
Earlier and several times, Trump has accused India of profiting from discounted Russian crude oil, writing, “India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian oil, they are then, for much of the oil purchased, selling it on the open market for big profits. They don’t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian war machine."
Earlier this month, Putin had made a phone call to PM Modi to share his assessment of his meeting with President Trump in Alaska on the Ukraine war. During the telephonic conversation, PM Modi had underlined India’s consistent position for a peaceful resolution of the conflict through diplomacy and dialogue.
On the call, both these leaders discussed a number of issues of bilateral cooperation with a view to further strengthening the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between India and Russia.
Lavrov had confirmed Putin's India visit
Earlier this year, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had also confirmed that President Vladimir Putin will visit India in 2025, marking his first trip to the country since the Ukraine conflict began in February 2022.
Lavrov in April had stated that preparations for the visit are in progress, though he did not provide a specific date. It should be noted that Putin’s last visit to India took place in December 2021, just before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
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