Putin: The Russian President may visit India “soon”
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Amid the ongoing geopolitical churning and matchmaking attempts, Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to visit India soon, the media reported on Thursday.
US President Donald Trump and Putin are also likely to meet “soon” to discuss a ceasefire in Ukraine.
India’s National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval, who is in Moscow, did not, however, specify the dates for the Putin visit, but Interfax news agency reported it’s likely to take place later this year.
“We have got a special, long relationship, and we value this relationship. We have had high-level engagement, and these high-level engagements have contributed very substantially. We are very excited and delighted to learn about the visit of President Putin to India. I think the dates are almost finalised now,” the NSA said.
So far, there has been no official statement from Moscow about the visit.
It comes amid heightened tensions between New Delhi and Washington over India’s trade relations with Russia. US President Donald Trump has accused India of aiding Moscow’s war on Kyiv by purchasing Russian energy, derailing trade talks between India and the United States.
On Wednesday, Trump signed a new executive order, imposing an additional 25 percent tariff on imports from India, over New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian oil. The US President also threatened to hit purchasers of Russian oil with secondary tariffs unless Moscow agrees to pause the war in Ukraine, which is now in its fourth year, by Friday.
India and Russia share a long-standing relationship, with bilateral trade and investment ties dating back to the Soviet era. Over the years, the two nations have strengthened their economic cooperation, with bilateral trade reaching unprecedented heights.
Since the start of the Ukraine war nearly four years ago, India has become one of the biggest importers of Russian oil. By May 2023, India was buying more than two million barrels of crude a day, or roughly 45 percent of its imports.
President Putin’s potential visit can serve as a high-stakes moment in India’s geopolitical strategy. The timing– coinciding with Trump’s tariff threats– could reinforce the resilience of the Indo-Russian ties, even as New Delhi seeks to manage its complex relations with Washington.
