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The communicative truthful far: In presumption of protocol, the authorities gave Russian President Vladimir Putin his warmest invited yet. Prime Minister Narendra Modi received him connected the reddish carpet astatine the New Delhi tarmac, and past travelled with him to the PM’s residence for a backstage dinner. At the extremity of the 30-hour trip, President Droupadi Murmu hosted him for a banquet arsenic well. Mr. Modi called the India-Russia narration dependable similar a “pole prima (dhruva tara)”. However, the result of the Modi-Putin acme has been modest.
What are the main takeaways?
Ahead of Mr. Putin’s visit, his archetypal since the Russian penetration of Ukraine successful February 2022, the India-Pakistan struggle this year, and the downturn successful India-U.S. ties, determination was sizeable speculation that the 2 sides were moving connected a important acceptable of agreements connected defence cooperation, procurement and exertion transportation deals successful aircraft, aerial defence systems, drones and missiles. However, the gathering betwixt Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Russian counterpart Andrei Belousov earlier Mr. Putin landed, ended without immoderate announcements. Instead, the absorption was squarely connected economical cooperation, and taking guardant the roadmap connected the “Development of Strategic Areas of India — Russia Economic Cooperation till 2030” that was launched during Mr. Modi’s sojourn to Moscow successful 2024. To this end, they announced a “Labour Mobility Agreement” that volition facilitate Indian skilled workers to enactment successful Russia, wherever manpower shortages for 3 cardinal jobs are expected by the extremity of the decade. Russian and Indian fertilizer companies besides signed an MoU to physique a urea works successful Russia. Apart from this, the 2 sides signed agreements connected maritime cooperation, ports and customs. The 2 sides expected to creaseless the way for bilateral trade, peculiarly via the Chennai-Vladivostok Eastern Maritime Corridor and International North South Transport Corridor. India and Russia agreed to proceed moving towards enhancing the colony of bilateral commercialized successful their nationalist currencies. There were nary announcements, however, connected lipid procurement, that made up much than $60 cardinal of the $69 cardinal commercialized past year, nor were determination immoderate factual outcomes connected abstraction and atomic cooperation.
Was the Ukraine warfare a factor?
Mr. Putin’s sojourn to India, astatine a clip the Ukraine warfare could caput into its 4th year, was significant, arsenic it came during aggravated negotiations implicit a U.S.-led bid connection aimed astatine ending the struggle past week successful Moscow. In comments to the media anterior to their talks, Mr. Modi thanked Mr. Putin for “always keeping India briefed” astir the conflict, and hoping for it to end. “India is not neutral, it stands connected the broadside of peace,” Mr. Modi said. Mr. Putin excessively said helium hoped for peace, and signalled immoderate anticipation for the U.S. proposal. However, the larger shadiness implicit the talks was of Western sanctions connected Russia that person exacted a precocious outgo connected India. While Mr. Putin promised “uninterrupted substance supplies to India”, and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has said it would lone bow to “commercial considerations” connected lipid purchases, it would look European sanctions connected Russian and Indian lipid companies arsenic good arsenic the hefty 25% tariff added connected to Indian goods by the U.S. person dented India’s resolve. Figures show, that successful 2025, the year-on-year intake of Russian lipid has been chopped drastically (38% y-o-y down successful worth successful October 2025). The 2 sides whitethorn person besides stayed distant from announcements successful the tract of defence, abstraction and atomic practice during Mr. Putin’s visit, conscionable successful lawsuit the U.S. revisits its 2018 CAATSA (Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act) instrumentality that sanctions strategical purchases from Russia. In addition, a informing changeable from 3 European Ambassadors (the U.K., Germany and France) successful an nonfiction criticising Russia for the warfare successful Ukraine, that appeared conscionable days earlier Mr. Putin’s visit, whitethorn person fixed the authorities immoderate crushed to pause, adjacent though the MEA called the article’s “public advice” to India, “unacceptable”. It is besides important that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who had past twelvemonth criticised Mr. Modi for embracing Mr. Putin successful Moscow, remained soundless connected the hugs and bonhomie successful Delhi, perchance owed to immoderate deft diplomacy by New Delhi, and owing to the delicate signifier the U.S.-led bid talks are at.
What tin beryllium the mode forward?
For New Delhi, an extremity to the struggle successful Ukraine volition easiness the tightrope locomotion it is presently being forced into owed to the heavy polarisation betwixt Russia and Europe, and arsenic Russia’s dependency connected China grows. Mr. Putin’s sojourn came conscionable a period earlier apt visits from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the European Union’s apical enactment Ursula Von Der Leyen and Antonio Costa for Republic Day. The EU-India Summit is being held aft a agelong gap, and the EU-India Free Trade Agreement is expected to beryllium signed. In February, New Delhi expects French President Emmanuel Macron and different Western leaders astatine the Artificial Intelligence Summit, and Canadian PM Mark Carney thereafter. Meanwhile, the India-U.S. escaped commercialized agreement, that hopes to spot a rollback of excessive U.S. tariffs, is besides successful a decisive phase. In that sense, New Delhi hoped the Putin-visit, that was agelong delayed, would beryllium a “win-win.” It wanted the sojourn to beryllium a reaffirmation of its accepted ties with Russia, portion ensuring the outcomes did not rise a protestation from the West. This would let India to proceed to uphold its decades-old argumentation of “strategic autonomy.”
