Putin likely to visit India on Dec 5-6

Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to visit India on December 5-6, in what would be his first trip to the country since the Russia-Ukraine war broke out, officials sources said on Wednesday.

The visit was first mooted during National Security Adviser Ajit Doval’s trip to Moscow in August. The exact dates were not confirmed then.

At the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Putin held a bilateral meeting, which observers believe laid groundwork for the upcoming visit.

The December visit comes at a time of elevated diplomatic pressures, especially from the US, which has imposed steep tariffs on Indian goods in response to New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian oil.

Just a day back, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, while responding to a question regarding the US tariffs on India over Russian oil purchase, said that the US wanted to eliminate competition using the Ukraine conflict as pretext.

"Our Indian counterparts have already reacted to this pressure to stop buying oil from Russia. They proceed from the assumption [that] if the United States wants to sell something to India, including oil, India is ready to negotiate and discuss the terms and conditions. However, when it comes to trade with other countries, it is only for Russia and India to discuss," Sputnik quoted Lavrov as saying.

Putin's expected visit is likely to produce agreements on long-term energy supplies, defence procurement and technology transfers, besides a joint declaration signalling the resilience of Indo-Russian ties.