External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is set to visit Moscow on August 21 for high-level talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The visit comes at a sensitive time in global diplomacy, as it follows closely on the heels of US President Donald Trump's decision to slap a 50 per cent tariff on India for purchasing the Russian oil.
"On August 21, FM Sergey Lavrov will hold talks with FM of India Dr S Jaishankar in Moscow," the Russian Foreign Ministry wrote on X. It further added that both leaders will discuss key issues on the bilateral agenda as well as key aspects of cooperation within international frameworks.
The upcoming meeting follows a session between Jaishankar and Lavrov on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers' Meeting on July 15. The high-level interaction had come shortly after the meeting between Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Russian counterpart Andrey Belousov on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Defence Ministers' Meeting in Qingdao in late June this year.
Defence cooperation in focus
The leaders discussed the supply of S-400 systems, Su-30 MKI upgrades, and procurement of critical military hardware in expeditious timeframes, as noted by an official statement from the Ministry of Defence. Earlier, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Sergey Lavrov had also held a meeting on the sidelines of the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro on July 6. The two leaders had previously met in Johannesburg in February this year, where they discussed the ongoing progress of bilateral cooperation between India and Russia.
Modi-Putin talks amid trade tensions
On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi engaged in a detailed conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin against the backdrop of trade tensions and fresh tariff measures by the United States. The two leaders reviewed the situation in Ukraine, with PM Modi reaffirming India's unwavering stance in favour of a peaceful and diplomatic resolution. Notably, India has also welcomed next week's summit talks between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Alaska to find ways to end the Ukraine conflict. Supporting the move, the MEA said India stands ready to support the efforts as it recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi's consistent position that "this is not an era of war."
