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Putin kicks off two-day visit to India; two sides eye defense, energy and trade ties: reports

Global Times

By Wang Qi and Shen Sheng Published: Dec 04, 2025 11:39 PM

Russian President Vladimir Putin landed in India on Thursday, kicking off a two-day trip with a private dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The last time Putin visited India was on December 6, 2021, according to multiple Indian media outlets.

Putin's visit marks the 25th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership between India and Russia, established in October 2000, according to The Hindu. Indian media disclosed that the two leaders are expected "to review the full spectrum of the special and privileged strategic partnership," which includes defense ties, energy security, trade expansion and cooperation in emerging sectors.

The leaders are also expected to exchange views on key global and regional issues, including developments in Eurasia and the Indo-Pacific. The two leaders will meet for wide-ranging discussions aimed at strengthening economic integration, enhancing trade routes, and advancing cooperation in technology, space, logistics and innovation, the Times of India reported.

According to the Tass News Agency, the two sides will sign 10 intergovernmental agreements and more than 15 commercial contracts. It pointed out that Putin's visit came as European Commission proposes "two solutions to use frozen Russian funds."

Former Indian prime ministerial adviser Sudhindra Kulkarni told the Sputnik that the visit underscores the enduring depth of the India-Russia partnership, calling the timing of the summit "strategically significant amid global pressure.

The New York Times commented that the timing is "especially fraught" for India, as New Delhi has been searching for a way to resolve its economic tangle with the US, which has pressured India to stop buying Russian oil with the threat of sanctions.

Nevertheless, in an interview with India Today on Thursday, Putin praised Modi's leadership, saying that "Modi is not one to give in to pressure" from the US. Indian media also noticed that ahead of his visit to New Delhi, Putin highlighted the "robust India-Russia defense and trade ties", noting that over 90 percent of transactions are now in national currencies.

Li Haidong, a professor at China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Thursday that the India-Russia relationship is highly strategic in nature and extremely resilient to external pressure or interference.

According to the expert, the coordination and cooperation between Russia and India carries a clear intent: both countries are determined to further strengthen their independent and autonomous capabilities.

"Through Putin's visit, India and Russia have jointly sent a clear message to the outside world: neither country is isolated," Li said, "On the contrary, the two sides enjoy extensive mutual support and strong complementarity... This means that sanctions and pressure from the US and the West against Russia and India is unlikely to succeed."

According to Al Jazeera, the Russian delegation also includes defense minister Andrei Belousov, and a wide-ranging group from business and industry, including top executives of Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport, and reportedly the heads of sanctioned oil firms Rosneft and Gazprom Neft.

In terms of an oil deal, former Indian diplomat Mahesh Sachdev said that India and Russia are likely to "explore alternative ways to maintain the crucial oil trade dynamics" amid growing Western pressure, while pushing bilateral trade "toward the ambitious $100 billion target by 2030," The Hindu reported.

Citing a possible India purchase of S-400 air-defense system units during the summit, New York Times added that Russia's losses on oil might be made up on the defense equipment front.

Bloomberg also reported that India will pay about $2 billion to lease a nuclear-powered submarine from Russia, citing a source familiar with the matter.

Putin's India visit came after his meeting with US special envoy Steve Witkoff in the Kremlin on Tuesday. Prior to the meeting, Putin warned that Russia was ready to fight a potential war if Europe sought one. He claimed European countries were trying to make changes in the US' peace proposal, ABC reported.

Against the backdrop of Europe urging the US to intensify pressure on Russia, the close coordination and cooperation between India and Russia clearly demonstrate to the US and Europe that Russia retains formidable strength and influence, and will not abandon its own interests and demands simply because of Western sanctions, Li said.

At the same time, India is also unlikely to flinch or adopt a timid stance in its Russia policy out of fear of potential US sanctions, as New Delhi is seemingly expressing that they will continue to formulate its policy toward Russia guided solely by its own national interests, Li added.

The collaboration between India and Russia will also further advance the process of global multi-polarization, the expert said.