Putin likely to visit India in early December amid India-US trade tensions

New Delhi: New Delhi and Moscow are currently finalising dates for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India, which is expected to take place in early December. The visit will be part of the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit, a key event in the longstanding strategic partnership between the two nations. This will be Putin’s first visit to India since the Russia-Ukraine conflict began.

“A visit by Mr Putin to New Delhi is being planned for December,” he said.  He also said that US tariffs won't affect India-Russia relations.

The agenda for the summit includes a wide range of topics, such as trade, defence cooperation, finance, healthcare, humanitarian ties and technology partnerships.

Notably PM Modi recently met his Russian counterpart Putin at the SCO summit in China. 

India-Russia annual summit

The India-Russia Annual Summit was launched in 2000 and is hosted alternately by both countries. While there were interruptions during the Covid-19 pandemic, the summit remains a cornerstone of bilateral relations. 

Putins visit important amid Trump’s tariffs on India

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India comes at a time when tensions are rising between New Delhi and Washington over India’s trade ties with Moscow. In response to India’s continued purchase of Russian oil, US President Donald Trump has imposed 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods. Washington says the move is part of its efforts to pressure Russia into ending its military actions in Ukraine.

With these new trade barriers in place, India and Russia are now expected to explore ways to work together and develop a strategy to counter the impact of the US tariffs.