Russian President Vladimir Putin hosts dinner for PM Narendra Modi; Ukraine may figure in talks today

Moscow, July 8

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday night hosted a private dinner for Prime Minister Narendra Modi hours after he arrived in Moscow on a two-day high-profile visit in his first trip to Russia since its invasion of Ukraine over two years back.

Modi-Putin talks today

• PM Narendra Modi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin at his residence at Novo-Ogaryovo near Moscow. Modi’s visit is likely to focus on cooperation in energy, trade and manufacturing sectors.
• Before departing from India, PM Modi said he was looking forward to reviewing all aspects of bilateral cooperation and sharing of perspectives on various regional and global issues, including Ukraine war.

The focus of PM Modi’s visit is likely to be on an economic agenda, including cooperation in areas of energy, trade, manufacturing, fertilisers. He is also likely to stress that “a solution cannot be found on the battlefield”, top sources said, indicating that the Ukraine conflict will figure prominently in Modi-Putin talks. The two leaders will tomorrow hold wide-ranging talks at the 22nd India-Russia annual summit, which is largely being seen in the context of wider geopolitical turmoil arising out of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Earlier, Modi was received at the airport by Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov.