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Why Modi and Putin Are Friends

H ours before India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Moscow on July 8, Russia fired missiles on Ukraine that killed at least 41 people, including four children at a children's hospital in Kyiv. The attack sparked widespread global condemnation, yet Modi was smiling as he posed for photos with Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

During Modi’s two-day visit to the Kremlin—his first trip to Russia since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022— the two leaders hugged each other outside Putin’s suburban residence in Novo-Ogaryovo, before holding informal talks over tea and taking a tour of the grounds. Putin told Modi he was “very happy” to see his “dear friend,” according to Russia’s TASS state news agency, while Modi called the visit a “wonderful opportunity to deepen ties” between the two countries in a post on the social media platform X .

In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called Modi’s visit “a huge disappointment” on X, saying it was “a devastating blow to peace efforts to see the leader of the world’s largest democracy hug the world’s most bloody criminal in Moscow.” 

It became clear, however, that Modi did not plan on challenging Putin over his actions in Ukraine during the visit, and instead used the trip to affirm longstanding strategic and economic ties between the two countries. The Indian leader’s engagement appears to be in part an attempt to stem the Kremlin’s dependence on regional rival China while he continues to walk a tightrope between the East and the West. “As the first state visit of his third term, Modi’s visit to Russia seeks to reassure Putin of the importance of the bilateral relationship at a time when India is deepening relations with the West,” says Chietigj Bajpaee, a senior research fellow for South Asia at Chatham House.

Read More: Indian Prime Minister Modi’s Visit to Washington Is His Most Important So Far. Here’s What to Know

Last June, Modi met with U.S. President Joe Biden during a state visit to Washington, where the two leaders struck a defense, trade, and technology partnership and deepened relations over shared concerns about China’s influence in the region. Still, India has refused to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and abstained from all resolutions on Ukraine at the United Nations, despite facing pressure to distance itself from Moscow. Instead, Modi has opted for a softer approach to the conflict, telling Putin that “today’s era is not an era of war” during the sidelines of a regional summit in Uzbekistan in 2022. Putin did not attend the G-20 summit hosted by New Delhi last year, where world leaders criticized the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Experts say Modi’s visit, which occurred at the same time as NATO meetings in Washington, is focused primarily on defense cooperation. It comes after Putin’s return from Kazakhstan last week, where the Russian President claimed during a regional summit that Moscow-Beijing relations were experiencing “the best period in their history.” This relationship has raised concerns for India as tensions with neighboring China have heated up in recent years over a disputed Himalayan border, which has resulted in India becoming increasingly estranged in forums where Russia and China play a prominent role. 

As such, Russia’s stance on India-China hostilities in the future will be critical, says Bajpaee, especially given India’s heavy reliance on Russia for military equipment that dates back to the height of the Cold War. “Historically, Moscow has taken a relatively neutral position, but if this were to change, it would prompt New Delhi to rethink its relations with Russia,” he says.

India has also continued to purchase large quantities of Russian crude oil at steep discounts despite Russia facing sanctions and isolation from the West. India is a major financial lifeline for Russia, with trade between the two countries amounting to nearly $65 billion in the last year. Most of that money has flowed toward Russia, however, a trade imbalance that Modi hoped to address during his talks with Putin, according to India’s foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, who spoke to reporters ahead of the trip.

On Tuesday, the two leaders continued talks over Russian imports vital for Indian power plants. “Energy cooperation is an important issue, arising not only from India’s dependence on Russian crude oil, but also civil nuclear cooperation,” says Bajpaee. 

Still, Delhi-Moscow relations were not without contention, as Modi sought to secure the early discharge of dozens of Indian nationals who were lured to join the Russian Army in recent years to fight Ukraine, with at least four dying on the battlefield so far.

But as India seeks to promote a worldview that is “non-western, but not explicitly anti-western,” according to Bajpee, it’s likely the friendship between India and Russia will endure. “For India, Modi’s meeting with Putin in Russia is just a continuation of longstanding strategic ties dating back to the Cold War, but for the U.S. and West, it reminds everyone how difficult it is to enlist New Delhi in a coalition to counter Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” says Derek Grossman, a senior analyst at the RAND Corporation. “In short, it won’t happen.”

Correction, July 9

The original version of this story misstated the year that Russia invaded Ukraine. It was 2022, not 2019.

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Explained: Why Vladimir Putin visit to India is significant

Prime minister narendra modi and russian president vladimir putin will on monday focus on terrorism as a common threat to both countries and the region..

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s brief but important visit to India is being watched by the world. Putin, who has not travelled much outside Russia during the pandemic, is making the trip to Delhi, at a time when the pandemic is still raging in his country. He has only travelled to Geneva for the summit meeting with US President Joe Biden. This is his second visit outside Russia this year.

India, however, has a historical relationship with Russia, spanning over the last seven decades. While the relationship has stagnated in some areas and atrophied in some others, the strongest pillar of the strategic partnership is of the defence basket.

Although New Delhi has consciously diversified its new purchases from other countries, the bulk of its defence equipment is from Russia. Estimates say 60 to 70 per cent of India’s supplies are from Russia, and New Delhi needs regular and reliable supply from Russia for the spare parts from the Russian defence industry.

In fact, Modi has held informal summits with only two countries — Xi and Putin. At this time of tension at the border, Defence minister Rajnath Singh had discussed the issue of defence equipment supply and purchase of new systems — like the S-400 missile defence system — with the Russian top brass in the military and government.

So, flowing from the understanding that Russia has leverage over Beijing because of recent proximity, and New Delhi has had a history of robust bilateral ties with Moscow, the present outreach is significant.

The two sides also have a shared concern of terrorism, as the security situation emanating out of Taliban-ruled Afghanistan remains challenging.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the visiting Russian President will on Monday focus on terrorism as a common threat to both countries and the region.

Top government sources told The Indian Express on Sunday that the two sides have worked “very closely” on the issue of threats of terrorism, terrorist financing, flow of arms and drugs trade, and that is expected to be reflected in the joint statement after Putin meets Modi.

The top government source pointed out that Delhi and Moscow have worked together on at least three major multilateral groupings — Russia-India-China (RIC), BRICS and SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation), and the conversation will be carried forward at the bilateral meetings as well.

In fact, to strengthen the bilateral mechanism — a new format, the 2+2 ministerial meeting between the Foreign and Defence ministers of both sides will also take place on Monday, ahead of the Putin-Modi bilateral summit in the evening. So far, India has 2+2 ministerial formats with only the Quad countries — US, Japan and Australia.

I warmly thank H.E. President Putin for his visit to India. We exchanged very useful ideas for expanding our strategic, trade & investment, energy, connectivity, defence, science & technology and cultural cooperation. We also shared views on important global and regional issues. pic.twitter.com/FQGFgQzsfX — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 6, 2021

Officials said that in the recent Russia-India-China meeting, India had negotiated hard on including reference to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

The two sides are also stepping up defence cooperation. Ahead of the summit, India has cleared the long-pending AK 203 Kalashnikov rifles deal worth nearly Rs 5,000 crore for production of over five lakh such rifles at Korwa in Amethi by an Indo-Russian joint venture.

On cooperation in areas of defence, sources said the two sides are set to focus on co-production and co-development of military equipment and platforms.

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Modi bear-hugs Putin in Moscow, marking deep ties between Russia and India

Despite Washington’s efforts to woo Prime Minister Narendra Modi and isolate President Vladimir Putin, the visit shows continuing close relations between their countries.

NEW DELHI — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been hosted by President Biden at a state dinner and lavished with praise by White House officials, who describe ties with India as “one of the most consequential relationships” for the United States.

But this week, Modi reminded the world that he has another close relationship — with “my dear friend Vladimir Putin.”

As Modi makes his first visit to Russia since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the images emerging from Moscow of Modi wrapping the Russian president in a hug send a clear signal that the South Asian giant will maintain deep ties with Russia despite the Biden administration’s efforts to woo its prime minister. It also shows that Putin is not as isolated as the White House has hoped.

The trip to Moscow, which overlapped with three days of NATO meetings in Washington, was met with consternation in Washington and Kyiv. Asked about the Modi-Putin meeting, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters at a press briefing: “We have made quite clear directly with India our concerns about their relationship with Russia.”

On X, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted photos of a children’s hospital in Kyiv that was struck by a Russian missile on Monday and criticized the meeting. “It is a huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts to see the leader of the world’s largest democracy hug the world’s most bloody criminal in Moscow on such a day,” he wrote.

The meeting represented a coming together of two leaders who need each other but are otherwise drifting closer to dueling camps led respectively by the United States and China. For Modi, Russia remains a crucial source of weaponry and energy and space technology that India sees as indispensable in becoming a great power. Analysts also say India does not want Russia to grow overly dependent upon India’s rival neighbor, China.

Putin’s war effort, meanwhile, has been funded in significant part by Indian purchases of Russian oil products, which have increased almost 20-fold since 2021. Russia, likewise, hopes India will keep some distance from the United States, and Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mocked the West this week for feeling “jealous” about Russia-India ties.

The Moscow meeting appeared to deepen what the two countries call a “special and privileged strategic relationship.” As Modi wrapped up his visit on Tuesday evening, Indian and Russian officials announced their ambition to expand annual trade volumes to $100 billion by 2030 and sign long-term agreements on oil and gas supplies while diversifying trade beyond the energy sector.

The two countries signed agreements to collaborate on polar research and, in a speech to the Indian diaspora in Moscow, Modi also announced the opening of new consulates in Kazan and Yekaterinburg to enhance ties between the two peoples.

“India and Russia are walking shoulder-and-shoulder and infusing new energy into global prosperity,” Modi said in his speech. “Any mention of Russia reminds every Indian of an ally that has been with us through good times and bad, as a trusted friend of India.”

Almost immediately after Modi arrived Monday evening, the leaders showcased their friendship at the Russian leader’s residence in Novo-Ogaryovo, near Moscow, for tea on an outdoor terrace.

“It is a great honor to visit a friend’s home,” Modi said, according to clips released by Russian state media, after he warmly embraced Putin with his trademark hug. Putin congratulated Modi on his recent reelection victory and drove him around his dacha’s manicured grounds in a golf cart, the official footage showed.

On Tuesday, Putin led Modi on a tour of an exhibition by Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation. Rosatom officials said this week that it is in talks to build six new nuclear power reactors in India — a fast-growing economy with soaring energy needs.

Modi’s trip to Moscow, coming less than a month after he was sworn in for a third term, broke with the Indian tradition of prime ministers visiting South Asian neighbors first after an election. But it demonstrated Modi’s global aspirations and gave him a chance to show Putin that India has not lost its autonomy even though it is receiving new investments, technologies and weaponry from the Biden administration, Indian analysts say.

“The decision to go early in the term is a signal that India remains invested in the Russia relationship — that is part and parcel of India’s foreign policy, cutting across party lines,” said Pankaj Saran, a former Indian ambassador to Russia and deputy national security adviser who continues to advise the Indian government.

The Indian establishment, Saran added, still considers ties with Washington its highest priority. India could seek to assuage U.S. concerns by arguing that an India that is friendly with Russia could prove useful as a potential interlocutor between Moscow and the West, he said.

At a formal meeting with Putin at the Kremlin on Tuesday afternoon, Modi called for “dialogue” to end the fighting in Ukraine and indirectly raised the hospital attack in Kyiv a day prior that Zelensky accused Russia of carrying out. “Anybody who believes in humanity is aggrieved at the loss of life in war or in terror attacks,” Modi told Putin. “Even so, it breaks our hearts to see innocent children get killed.”

Putin replied: “I am grateful to you for the attention you are paying to the most pressing issues, including trying to find some ways to resolve the Ukrainian crisis, and of course, primarily by peaceful means.”

Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra told reporters Russia would work to discharge all Indians currently serving in the Russian military, after Modi apparently requested the step.

The issue became politically contentious in India this year after reports emerged that Indians seeking job opportunities as “security helpers” or porters were recruited to Russia and deployed to fight on the front, possibly against their will. Indian officials say at least four Indians have been killed in combat so far.

Even though the India-Russia relationship was cemented during the Cold War, the energy and defense ties between Russia and India — the world’s largest weapons buyer and the No. 3 importer of oil — have continued to thrive. Indian imports of Russian crude rose from $2.5 billion in 2021, before the invasion of Ukraine, to $46.5 billion in 2023, according to Indian Commerce Ministry data. Last year, only China purchased more Russian crude.

Indian officials say the transactions have been priced below the $60-per-barrel cap imposed by the Group of Seven countries, and the United States has refrained from criticizing India’s purchases. But they represent such a large windfall for Russia that Indian officials have begun to voice concerns about India’s mounting trade deficit with Russia.

And while U.S. officials have publicly and privately urged India to wean itself off Russian weapons, the Russian state-owned arms giant Rostec announced last week that it would manufacture armor-piercing tank rounds inside India to supply India’s army.

Indian officials hope that Putin will maintain a degree of independence from China in exchange for receiving India’s support, at a time when Russia is increasingly seen as a junior partner to Beijing. India and China have been locked in a tense border dispute since 2020.

Even as Modi, the leader of the world’s largest democracy, embraced Putin, the Russian leader’s brutal use of his country’s judicial system for political purposes was on full display. A Russian court on Tuesday ordered the arrest of Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of political opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died in an Arctic prison earlier this year. Navalnaya, who is living outside Russia, was accused of participation in an extremist community.

She has accused Putin of killing her husband, who previously had survived an assassination attempt by Russian security agents using a banned chemical weapon. Many world leaders condemned Navalny’s death, and some, such as Biden, said Putin was responsible.

On X, formerly Twitter, Navalnaya mocked the judicial process in which, since taking over her husband’s work abroad, she has faced multiple allegations.

“Oh, there’s no normal procedure? A foreign agent, then a criminal case, then an arrest?!” she posted. “When you write about this, please don’t forget to write the main thing: Vladimir Putin is a murderer and a war criminal. His place is in prison, and not somewhere in The Hague, in a cozy cell with a TV, but in Russia — in the same colony and the same 2 by 3 meter cell in which he killed Alexei.”

For Putin, Modi’s visit, which wrapped up Tuesday, provides a further chance to show he is not totally isolated over his war in Ukraine.

“For Putin, it’s very important. It is international recognition,” a Russian official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter. Touting Russia’s relationship with India also allows Putin to boost Russia’s position in relation to China, he said.

Just last month, Putin visited North Korea in a trip that was “not received very well in Beijing,” said the Russian official, who is close to senior Russian diplomats.

“When we became completely dependent on China, we suddenly had the visit to North Korea and now this balance with India,” the Russian official said. “With these types of triangles, [Putin] is able to balance the situation to show that he is not completely subservient.”

Belton reported from London and Ilyushina from Berlin. Anant Gupta in New Delhi contributed to this report

Russia’s Putin to land in India to boost military, energy ties

The Russian leader has to contend with complex regional dynamics, with tensions mounting between India and Russia’s traditional ally China.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will arrive in India on Monday for his second overseas trip since the pandemic, seeking to bolster military and energy ties with a traditional ally being courted by the United States.

In its efforts to address a rising China, Washington has set up the QUAD security dialogue with India, Japan, and Australia, raising concerns in Beijing and Moscow.

India was close to the Soviet Union during the Cold War, a relationship that has endured, with New Delhi calling it a “special and privileged strategic partnership”.

“The friendship between India and Russia has stood the test of time,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Putin at a virtual summit in September.

“You have always been a great friend of India.”

It is just the Russian leader’s second trip abroad since the coronavirus pandemic began – he skipped both the G20 and COP26 summits this year – after a June summit with US President Joe Biden in Geneva.

“It’s hugely symbolic,” said Nandan Unnikrishnan from New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation think-tank.

“It’s indicative how they do not want the relationship to stagnate or slow down for want of something from the Russian side.”

But Putin has to contend with complex regional dynamics, with tensions mounting between India and Russia’s traditional ally China following deadly clashes in a disputed Himalayan region.

“Russia’s influence in the region is very limited,” said Tatiana Belousova of OP Jindal Global University in Haryana, “mostly because of its close ties with China and unwillingness to act in dissonance with the Chinese regional interests.”

‘Quite remarkable’

The Kremlin said last week the talks will be dominated by defence and energy issues, with the boss of Russian energy giant Rosneft, Igor Sechin, also travelling as a “number of important energy agreements” were on the table.

Russia has long been a key arms supplier to India, which is looking to modernise its armed forces, and one of their most high-profile current contracts is for the long-range S-400 ground-to-air missile defence system.

The deal, worth more than $5bn, was signed in 2018 , and deliveries have reportedly begun , but it threatens to upend the burgeoning relationship between New Delhi and Washington.

The US has threatened sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), which is aimed at reining in Russia, and the US State Department said last week that no decisions had been made on any waivers for India.

“It is quite remarkable that India still decided to go ahead with the S-400 deal, despite the US disapproval,” said Belousova.

New Delhi has long sought to diversify its military imports, but analysts believe it could take some time before it moves away from Russia.

Military equipment was “paramount” to India given “unabated” tensions with Pakistan, according to Unnikrishnan. “You’re going to try and nurture whatever is required to ensure that.”

India is also keen to increase domestic production and has launched a joint venture with Russia to manufacture AK-203 assault rifles.

India and Russia typically hold annual summits, but the leaders’ last in-person meeting was on the sidelines of the 2019 BRICS Summit in Brazil.

“The leaders will review the state and prospects of bilateral relations and discuss ways to further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries,” India’s ministry of external affairs said in a statement last month.

The two countries’ foreign and defence ministers will also hold talks on Monday.

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Vladimir Putin's India visit: From New Delhi and Moscow signing record 28 MoUs to 2+2 talks, what went down

New Delhi and Moscow also signed a programme of cooperation in the field of defence for the next 10 years from 2021 to 2031

India and Russia on Monday signed a record 28 MoUs across a wide range of sectors including trade, energy, culture, intellectual property accountancy and education.

During a special briefing after the annual summit meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the visiting Russian president Vladimir Putin, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan said there was an “excellent discussion” between the two leaders.

Shringla said President Putin’s visit was short but “nonetheless highly productive and highly substantive”.

Besides 28 MoUs, New Delhi and Moscow also signed a programme of cooperation in the field of defence for the next 10 years from 2021 to 2031.

“There were excellent discussions between the two leaders. This is President Putin’s second visit out of Russia since COVID-19 pandemic began. The only visit he has undertaken was the brief visit to Geneva for the Russia-US summit,” he said.

“The fact that the Russian president has decided to visit India for the annual summit exceptionally is an indication of the importance he attaches to the bilateral relationship and also his personal rapport,” he added.

Noting that “record number 28 MoUs were concluded during the visit,” Shringla said the “agreements were government-to-government and business-to-business, including those involving public sector units.

“The diversity of agreements and MoUs signed today shows the multifaceted nature of our bilateral partnership,” he said.

This is just Putin’s second overseas trip since the pandemic, seeking to bolster military and energy ties.

This, in the backdrop of its traditional ally New Delhi being courted by Washington which – in its efforts to address a rising China – has set up the QUAD security dialogue with India, Japan, and Australia, raising concerns in both Beijing and Moscow.

Putin met Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the 21st India- Russia Annual Summit at the Hyderabad House on Monday.

Here’s what they said, the discussions held at the 2+2 dialogue and the agreements that were signed between India and Russia.

What PM Modi and Putin said at summit

“In the last few decades, several fundamentals have changed. New geopolitical angles have emerged. Amidst all such variables, Indo-Russian friendship has been constant. Both countries have assisted each other and also taken care of each other’s sensitivities,” Modi said.

“The first 2+2 dialogue between our defence and foreign ministers has taken place. It starts a new mechanism to improve our behavioral cooperation. We’ve been in constant touch on Afghanistan and other regional issues,” he added.

“We’re adopting a long-term vision to strengthen our partnership in economic affairs. By 2025, we’ve set a target of trade worth $30 billion and investment worth $50 billion,” the prime minister said.

As per ANI , Putin said, “We perceive India as a great power, a friendly nation, and a time-tested friend. The relations between our nations are growing and I am looking to the future.”

“Currently, mutual investments stand at about 38 billion with a bit more investment coming from the Russian side. We cooperate greatly in military & technical sphere like no other country. We develop high technologies together as well as produce in India,” Putin added.

“Naturally, we’re concerned about everything that has to do with terrorism. Fight against terrorism is also fight against drug trafficking and organized crime. With that regard, we are concerned about the developments of the situation in Afghanistan,” Putin said.

Putin also said that “Last year the trade between India and Russia had decreased by 17 percent, but in the first 9 months of 2021, both countries witnessed an Meanwhile, Putin also said that both the countries continue to develop relations both in the international arena and in the military sphere.

“We are conducting joint military exercises both in India and in Russia. We are grateful to you for your understanding of this component of our work, we intend to continue working in this direction,” Putin was quoted as saying by Sputnik.

Inaugural Indo-Russia 2+2 dialogue

India is faced with challenges arising out of “extraordinary militarisation” in its neighbourhood and “completely unprovoked aggression” on the northern border, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said at the inaugural Indo-Russia ‘2+2’ dialogue even as the two nations inked a pact for joint production of over six lakh AK-203 rifles and extended military cooperation till 2031.

Besides Singh, the ‘2+2’ foreign and defence talks were attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov and Russian Defence Minister Gen Sergey Shoigu. The ministers held comprehensive discussion on strategically important bilateral and regional issues.

Ahead of the ‘2+2’ talks, Rajnath and Shoigu co-chaired a meeting of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and Military-Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-M&MTC) during which the two sides inked the agreement for joint production of over six lakh AK-203 assault rifles at a manufacturing facility in Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi and extended the pact on military cooperation for 10 years (2021-31).

The rifles will be manufactured for the Indian armed forces at a cost of around Rs 5000 crore. The 10 year pact on military cooperation is a renewal of an existing framework.

The pandemic, the extra-ordinary militarisation and expansion of armament in our neighbourhood and the completely unprovoked aggression on our northern border since early summer of 2020 have thrown in several challenges,” Singh said without naming China.

At the same time, he said India is confident of overcoming these challenges with the strong political will and inherent capability of its people. “Recognising that its development needs are colossal and that its defence challenges are legitimate, real and immediate, India seeks partners who are sensitive and responsive to India’s expectations and requirements,” the defence minister said.

Singh also hoped that Russia will remain a major partner for India in these “changing circumstances”. “From Ministry of Defence we have urged for greater military-technical collaboration, advanced research, co-development and co-production of defence equipment leading to the self-reliance of India,” Singh said.

“Separately, we proposed greater engagements in Central Asia and the Indian Ocean region. India is a continuation of the vast Eurasian landmass and at the same time central in the enormous Indian Ocean region,” he said. “We are optimistic about Russia’s cooperation in all the domains, " he added.

Referring to his bilateral meeting with Shoigu, Singh said he had discussed the “emerging challenges India is confronted with and the enhanced requirement of India for closer military and military-technical cooperation with Russia”. In his remarks, Jaishankar said ties between India and Russia have been “close and time-tested” in a world that has changed so much.

“They (the ties) have been exceptionally steady,” he said. “We are meeting at a critical juncture in the global geopolitical environment which is in great flux, especially in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.

“As close friends and strategic partners, India and Russia have been working together to safeguard our common interests and to ensure peace, progress and prosperity for our peoples,” Jaishankar said. The external affairs minister also said that the situation in Afghanistan has wider repercussions including for central Asia.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has raised questions about the current model of global affairs. But the long-standing challenges remain even as new ones emerge Prominent among them are terrorism, violent extremism and radicalization. The situation in Afghanistan has wider repercussions, including for Central Asia,” he said.

Shoigu said bilateral military-technical cooperation is especially important in India-Russia relations, and that he and Singh had finalised plans for future cooperation.

Russian foreign minister Lavrov said the 2+2 ministerial dialogue mechanism will further expand traditional understanding and help reinforce the bilateral special and privileged strategic partnership.

“Both Russia and India have a similar worldview of a more poly-centric, more multi-polar, more equitable world order. We advocate similar or identical positions on the most important political and military issues,” he said.

Tweeting on his discussions with the Russian ministers, Singh said India values its special and privileged strategic partnership with Russia. “India deeply appreciates Russia’s strong support for India. We hope that our cooperation will bring peace, prosperity and stability to the entire region. Glad that a number of Agreements/Contracts/Protocols were signed pertaining to small arms and military cooperation,” he tweeted

India-Russia sign agreements for assault rifles

India and Russia on Monday signed the agreements for the procurement of 6,01,427 7.63 x 39mm assault rifles AK-203 through Indo-Russia Rifles Pvt Ltd, under the military-technical cooperation arrangement for 2021-31.

This deal was signed following the meeting between Rajnath Singh and Russian Defence Minister General Sergey Shoigu. Another agreement was signed on protocol on amending agreement on cooperation in the field of Kalashnikov series small arms manufacturing dated 18 February, 2019.

Underlining the importance of the time-tested relations between India and Russia, Rajnath Singh had said that defence cooperation is one of the most important pillars of the bilateral partnership and thanked Russia for its strong support.

“Defence cooperation is one of the most important pillars of our partnership. India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-MTC) is a well-established mechanism for the past two decades. I hope the India-Russia partnership will bring peace to the entire region and provide stability to the region,” said Singh in his opening remarks during a meeting with Sergey Shoigu.

Rajnath Singh also appreciated Russia’s strong support for India. “Our close cooperation is not targeted against any country. We hope that our partnership will bring peace and prosperity to the entire region,” he added.

Rajnath Singh met with Shoigu here in Delhi and held talks on the Inter-Governmental Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-MTC), considered as a major issue in the context of bilateral relations.

‘Special and privleged strategic partnership’

India was close to the Soviet Union during the Cold War, a relationship that has endured, with New Delhi calling it a “special and privileged strategic partnership”.

“The friendship between India and Russia has stood the test of time,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Putin at a virtual summit in September. “You have always been a great friend of India.”

It is only the Russian leader’s second trip abroad since the coronavirus pandemic began – he skipped both the G20 and COP26 summits this year – after a June summit with US President Joe Biden in Geneva.

“It’s hugely symbolic,” said Nandan Unnikrishnan from New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation think tank.

“It’s indicative how they do not want the relationship to stagnate or slow down for want of something from the Russian side.”

But Putin has to contend with complex regional dynamics, with tensions mounting between India and Russia’s traditional ally China following deadly clashes in a disputed Himalayan region.

“Russia’s influence in the region is very limited,” said Tatiana Belousova of OP Jindal Global University in Haryana, “mostly because of its close ties with China and unwillingness to act in dissonance with the Chinese regional interests.”

‘Quite remarkable’

The Kremlin said last week the talks will be dominated by defence and energy issues, with the boss of Russian energy giant Rosneft, Igor Sechin, also travelling as a “number of important energy agreements” were on the table.

Russia has long been a key arms supplier to India, which is looking to modernise its armed forces, and one of their most high-profile current contracts is for the long-range S-400 ground-to-air missile defence system.

The deal, worth over $5 billion, was signed in 2018 and deliveries have reportedly begun, but it threatens to upend the burgeoning relationship between New Delhi and Washington.

The US has threatened sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), which is aimed at reining in Russia, and the state department said last week that no decisions had been made on any waivers for India.

“It is quite remarkable that India still decided to go ahead with the S-400 deal, despite the US disapproval,” said Belousova.

New Delhi has long sought to diversify its military imports but analysts believe it could take some time before it moves away from Russia.

Military equipment was “paramount” to India given “unabated” tensions with Pakistan, according to Unnikrishnan. “You’re going to try and nurture whatever is required to ensure that.”

India is also keen to increase domestic production and has launched a joint venture with Russia to manufacture AK-203 assault rifles.

India and Russia normally hold annual summits, but the leaders’ last in-person meeting was on the sidelines of the 2019 BRICS Summit in Brazil.

“The leaders will review the state and prospects of bilateral relations and discuss ways to further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries,” India’s ministry of external affairs said in a statement last month.

With inputs from agencies

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Modi's Moscow visit points to enduring friendship with Putin's Russia

Charles Maynes

Modi goes to Moscow

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi take a walk during an informal meeting at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence, outside Moscow, on July 8. Sergei Karpukhin/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

MOSCOW — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Moscow for a two-day visit with Russian President Vladimir Putin — his first trip to Russia since the Kremlin ordered its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago.

Yet there are few signs Modi, the leader of the world’s largest democracy, plans to challenge Putin directly over his actions in Ukraine. Instead, the Indian leader appears to be engaging Moscow as part of a wider balancing act between East and West that has been at the core of his foreign policy.

Ahead of his departure for Moscow, Modi noted the partnership with Russia had “advanced” over the past 10 years, and he looked forward to reviewing all aspects of bilateral cooperation with his “friend” Putin.

“We seek to play a supportive role for a peaceful and stable region,” Modi added, without clarifying.

Statements by the Kremlin were similarly sanguine, saying that Modi’s visit would build on “traditionally friendly Russian-Indian relations.”

Modi was greeted by a goose-stepping honor guard upon arrival at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport Monday afternoon. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, who had worked with an Indian-Russia aeronautics company in the past, greeted him on the tarmac.

As Modi’s motorcade made his way toward his hotel across from the Kremlin, throngs of well-wishers gathered to wave Indian and Russian flags.

Among other announced activities: Putin will host Modi for a private dinner “with a free agenda” for discussion, the Kremlin’s spokesman said — setting the tone for formal talks on Tuesday.

Modi is also expected to lay flowers at Russia’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

There were no current plans for the leaders to address the media, the spokesman added.

Cold War allies

Russia and India have strong ties that date back to the height of the Cold War.

In a partnership that often blurred ideological lines, the Soviets provided weapons to India as both countries found a common threat in the rise of their neighbor China.

Fast forward to today and much has changed: The United States is now one of India’s major partners and India’s military needs have diversified. Yet Modi’s Moscow visit is part tribute to an enduring Indian-Russian friendship, analysts say.

India has refused Western entreaties, including by Washington, to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine — with Modi instead urging a vague diplomatic settlement to the conflict.

“Today’s era is not an era of war,” the Indian prime minister told Putin during their last meeting on the sidelines of a regional summit in Central Asia in the fall of 2022.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization leaders' summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Sept. 16, 2022. Alexandr Demyanchuk/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Putin responded by promising Modi that Russia was doing “everything to stop this as soon as possible.”

Nearly two years later, the death toll and destruction in Ukraine continue to mount, with hundreds of thousands dead and no end to the fighting in sight.

Ukraine invasion — explained

Just hours before Modi landed, Russian rockets struck cities across Ukraine, killing at least 29 people and injuring dozens more. Among the targets hit was a children’s hospital in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.

Russia’s Defense Ministry insisted its forces had carried out precision attacks on military installations.

Meanwhile, New Delhi has grown increasingly alarmed as Western sanctions have pushed Russia into the arms of India’s key regional rival China, regional exports say.

“India has not condemned the Russian invasion, but that doesn't mean that it supports the war,” Michael Kugelman, South Asia director of the Wilson Center, told NPR late last year. “It doesn't support the war at all. The war makes Russia more dependent on China, and India doesn't want that because China is India's strategic competitor."

The economic ties that bind

Further complicating the picture: New Delhi has also benefited from purchases of Russian oil at steep discounts after the U.S. and its allies imposed sanctions on Russian crude.

Meanwhile, easing the way for more Russian-Indian business — and adjusting a massive trade imbalance that has come with Russia's oil exports — appears at the heart of this week’s talks.

One of key topics discussed will be development of alternative money transfer systems — think a Russian-Indian version of Paypal, Zelle or Venmo — as a workaround to Western sanctions that removed most Russian banks from the global SWIFT payment system.

Ahead of Modi’s visit, India’s Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, said talks would also focus on freeing between 30-40 Indians who were “misled” into Russian military service by promises of mercenary pay.

Hungary's Orbán in Kyiv for talks with Zelenskyy in first visit since the war began

Different views of a multipolar world.

In Moscow, Modi’s arrival is seen as the latest evidence of the West’s failure to isolate Russia over its invasion of its neighbor. Shortly before Modi’s visit, Putin hosted Hungary’s prime minister , Viktor Orban, in Moscow and met with China’s Xi Jinping and a host of other leaders at a Eurasian regional summit in Kazakhstan.

Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (left) deliver a joint press statement following their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow on July 5. Alexander Nemenov/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Putin and Xi further their embrace to defy U.S.-led pressure

The Indian prime minister’s visit — which partially coincides with this week’s NATO summit gathering in Washington, D.C. — provides yet another opportunity for Putin to herald Russia’s membership in non-Western clubs such as the BRICS group of advanced developing nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization among others.

Putin has framed these organizations as evidence of a new “multipolar world order” emerging from what, he argues, is the West’s moral rot and economic decline.

The war in Ukraine — now in its third summer — tops NATO's agenda

Modi, too, has embraced India’s rise in a new multipolar reality. But he has pursued a balancing act to maintain good relations with Western economies with which New Delhi does much of its business.

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Indian Prime Minister Modi makes first visit to ally Russia since Ukraine invasion

India’s prime minister began a two-day visit to Russia  on Monday, his first since Moscow launched its  invasion of Ukraine , a war that has complicated the relationship between the longtime allies and pushed Russia closer to India’s rival China .

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit will include a meeting with President  Vladimir Putin , whom he last saw in Russia in 2019, in the far eastern port of Vladivostok . The two leaders also met in person in September 2022 in Uzbekistan , at a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization bloc.

Russia has had strong ties with India since the Cold War, and New Delhi’s importance as a key trading partner for Moscow has grown since the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine in Feb. 2022 . China and India have become key buyers of Russian oil following sanctions imposed by the United States and its allies that shut most Western markets off to Russian exports.

Under Modi’s leadership, India has avoided condemning Russia’s war in Ukraine while emphasizing the need for a peaceful settlement.

The partnership between Moscow and New Delhi has become fraught, however, since Russia started developing closer ties with India’s main rival, China, because of the hostilities in Ukraine.

Modi notably stayed away last week from the most recent summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, in Kazakhstan.

Chietigj Bajpaee, senior South Asia research fellow at the U.K.-based Chatham House, said India is becoming increasingly estranged from forums in which Russia and China play a prominent role.

“This is evident in India’s relatively low key presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization last year, and now the decision by Modi not to attend this year’s summit,” Bajpaee said.

A confrontation in June 2020 along the disputed China-India border dramatically altered their already touchy relationship as the rival troops fought with rocks, clubs and fists. At least 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese soldiers were killed. Tensions have since persisted despite talks.

Those tensions have seeped into how New Delhi looks at Moscow.

“Russia’s relations with China have been a matter of some concern for India in the context of Chinese increased assertiveness in the region,” D. Bala Venkatesh Verma, a former Indian ambassador to Russia, told The Associated Press.

But Modi also will seek to continue close relations with Russia, an important trading partner and major defense supplier for India.

Since Western sanctions blocked Russian oil exports after the start of the Ukraine war, India has become a key buyer of Russian oil. It now gets more than 40% of its oil imports from Russia, according to analysts.

India is also strongly dependent on Russia for military supplies, but with Moscow’s supply line hit by the fighting in Ukraine, India has been diversifying its defense procurements, buying more from the U.S., Israel, France and Italy.

“Defense cooperation will clearly be a priority area,” Bajpaee said, adding that 60% of India’s military equipment and systems is “still of Russian origin.”

“We’ve seen some delay in the deliveries of spare parts ... following the Russian invasion of Ukraine,” he said. “I believe both countries are due to conclude a military logistics agreement, which would pave the way for more defense exchanges.”

India has adopted a neutral stance, neither condemning nor condoning Russia’s war on Ukraine, and has called for negotiations to end the fighting. That in turn has bolstered Putin’s efforts to counter what he calls the West’s domination of global affairs.

Facing an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court for actions over the war in Ukraine, Putin’s foreign travel has been relatively sparse in recent years, so Modi’s trip could help the Russian leader boost his image.

Alexander Gabuev, head of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, said that Putin’s interactions on the world stage show he “is far from isolated” and that Russia is not a country to be discounted.

Trade development also will figure strongly in the talks, particularly intentions to develop a maritime corridor between India’s major port of Chennai and Vladivostok, the gateway to Russia’s Far East.

India-Russia trade has seen a sharp increase, touching close to $65 billion in the 2023-24 financial year, due to strong energy cooperation, Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra told reporters Friday.

Imports from Russia touched $60 billion and exports from India $4 billion in the 2023-24 financial year, Kwatra said. India’s financial year runs from April to March.

He said India was trying to correct the trade imbalance with Russia by increasing its exports. India’s top exports to Russia include drugs and pharmaceutical products, telecom instruments, iron and steel, marine products and machinery.

Its top imports from Russia include crude oil and petroleum products, coal and coke, pearls, precious and semi-precious stones, fertilizer, vegetable oil, gold and silver.

The Associated Press

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Putin says India, China and Brazil could mediate peace talks over Ukraine conflict | WATCH

Prime minister narendra modi in recent times has become more vocal on the russia-ukraine conflict, saying india is ready to play a more decisive role in peace talks. he also visited ukraine last month and said india was never a neutral observer and has sided with peace..

"We respect our friends, partners, who, I believe, are sincerely interested in resolving all issues related to this conflict. This is primarily the People's Republic of China, Brazil, and India. I am constantly in contact with our colleagues on this issue. And I have no doubt that the leaders of these countries, we have a trusting relationship with them, sincerely strive to help understand all the details of this complex process," he said at the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.

The Russian President said he never refused to negotiate with Ukraine, but said he would not do so based on "ephemeral demands" but on the basis of those documents that were agreed and virtually initiated in Istanbul. He also said that Russia's main priority in the talks was the growth of the economy and Moscow's military potential.

India's role in Russia-Ukraine peace talks

In recent times, India has become more vocal on the Russia-Ukraine talks and has hinted at a possible role in mediating in the talks. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who recently became one of the few leaders to visit both Russia and Ukraine, has repeatedly advocated for dialogue and diplomacy in the conflict and that India stood with its allies towards a possible peace.

Speaking at a press conference in Poland on August 22, PM Modi said, "The ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia are a deep concern for all of us. India firmly believes that no conflict can be resolved on the battlefield. The loss of innocent lives in any crisis has become the greatest challenge for all of humanity. We support dialogue and diplomacy for the swift restoration of peace and stability. For this, India is ready to provide all possible cooperation in conjunction with its friendly countries."

PM Modi, who was on a single-day visit to Kyiv, told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that New Delhi had not been neutral or an indifferent bystander during the Russia-Ukraine conflict and was always on the side of peace. He held fruitful conversations with Zelenskyy and said India had never been neutral or an indifferent bystander during the Russia-Ukraine conflict and was always on the side of peace.

PM Modi later held talks with Putin and informed him about his Ukraine visit, expressing his interest in contributing to a diplomatic settlement of the situation. He also reiterated India’s firm commitment to support an early, abiding and peaceful resolution of the conflict, while Putin gave a "fundamental assessment of the destructive line of the Kyiv authorities."

Ukraine's Kursk incursion failed to slow Russia

Putin also asserted that Ukraine's unprecedented incursion into the Kursk region had failed to slow down the Russian advance in Donbas as Kyiv had simply weakened its forces along the rest of the front. He said it was Russia's "sacred duty" to expel the invaders and that Russian forces were starting to push out Ukrainian troops from Kursk.

"The enemy's goal was to make us nervous and worry and to transfer troops from one sector to another and stop our offensive in key areas, primarily in the Donbas," Putin said. "Did it work? No... By transferring rather large and well-trained units to these border areas with us, the enemy weakened itself in key areas, and our troops accelerated offensive operations."

Though the Kursk attack was an embarrassment for Putin and the top military brass, Russian officials are now casting the attack as one of Kyiv's biggest tactical mistakes of the war because they say it ties down thousands of their troops for little real tactical or strategic gain. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the attack was an attempt to bring the war to Russia, to force Putin to peace and to carve out a buffer zone to prevent Russian attacks on the neighbouring Sumy region.

(with Reuters input)

ALSO READ |  'US welcomes any nation that...': White House on PM Modi's historic visit to Ukraine

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More countries are openly flaunting their ties with Putin. They say it's just business.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is meeting leaders from China, India, Vietnam, and Indonesia amid heavy sanctions.

Russia seeks to end diplomatic isolation by engaging with "swing nations" beyond autocratic allies.

Despite sanctions, Russia remains a key global economy and energy supplier.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is having a very social year as his country continues to wage war in Ukraine.

So far, Putin has met top leaders from Asian countries including China, India, Vietnam, and Indonesia. That's plenty of publicity for a heavily sanctioned individual from a country facing sweeping trade restrictions.

And there's a strategic reason for all those meetings, Sean McFate, an adjunct professor at the Syracuse University Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, told Business Insider.

Russia is trying to emerge from diplomatic isolation and is looking to forge strategic relationships beyond autocratic partners like China, North Korea, and Iran, McFate said.

"Putin is eyeing strategic swing nations like India, which opposes China and trades with Russia," he added. "That gives Russia some advantage over China, as their relationship has chilled somewhat."

On Wednesday, Putin rubbed shoulders with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Russia. The two countries were set to discuss a range of issues, including trade and investment.

This meeting came on the heels of Putin's trip to Mongolia, where he met President Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh.

Mongolia, as a member of the International Criminal Court, should have arrested Putin, who has an ICC arrest warrant against him.

But the East Asian nation said it couldn't throw Putin in jail because it depends on Russia — an oil and gas giant — for its energy security.

"This supply is critical to ensure our existence and that of our people," a Mongolian government spokesperson told Politico.

It's about neutrality — and the economy

Mongolia's explanation underscores the scale of Russia's economy. It's the 11th largest in the world and has an annual GDP of about $2 trillion, according to the World Bank.

While Russia's economy pales in comparison to the US' $27.4 trillion GDP, Russia is still an important partner for many developing economies.

In particular, Russia accounts for about one-tenth of the world's oil production, making it an important resource supplier.

Before its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia's single largest trading partner was the European Union.

In the last two years, Russia has managed to pivot to supplying China and India, as well as nearly anyone who wants to buy discounted energy, be it Sri Lanka when it was in an economic meltdown just two years ago or Turkey — a NATO member and aspiring EU member.

While some countries, like China and Vietnam, have historical ties with Russia, others, like India and Sri Lanka, have also cited economic self-interest for their ongoing relationship with Russia — particularly if they're in difficult conditions themselves. Most, if not all of them, have also taken a neutral position on the war in Ukraine.

Serik Zhumangarin, Kazakhstan's deputy prime minister, told Bloomberg last month that the country would no longer "blindly follow the sanctions" if the restrictions impact the country's key companies. Russia was Kazakhstan's largest trade partner before the war started.

He told the media outlet that some of the sanctions against Moscow had hurt Kazakhstan more than Russia, and the West has done nothing to compensate the Central Asian nation.

Using the economy to explain cozy diplomatic relationships with Russia appears to be gaining favor now that the Ukraine war is in its 31st month.

After all, Russia is a large and globally integrated economy that even the European Union is still trying to decouple from.

Even China, which in 2022 declared its friendship with Russia as a partnership with "no limits," now appears to be more keen on presenting the relationship in more pragmatic, businesslike terms.

Just last month, China framed Vice Premier Li Qiang's visit to Russia as one that seeks "complementary advantages and huge potential for practical cooperation" between Moscow and Beijing.

Russia is wooing the Global South

Partnering with Russia on economic terms is unlikely to alarm the US and Europe, even if there are concerns and strong criticism.

"Russia's foreign policy blitz is unlikely to be a threat to the EU and NATO," Syracuse University's McFate said.

That's because Moscow is not making military alliances with partner countries to attack Europe, which views Russia as its top threat, he said. For the US, Russia is a distant second after China.

Even so, there still may be changes afoot.

Moscow is pushing a narrative of the Global South as a force in shaping an alternative world order, with the emerging nations of BRICS — anchored by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa — forming an economic bloc.

Russia is the BRICS chair this year, and Putin has invited Mongolia to join the group's summit in October. Malaysia applied to join the group, and Indonesia is also considering an invitation to join the bloc. Turkey has also said it's interested in joining the group.

"Indonesia, Malaysia, and Mongolia are an interesting test of those nations' 'neutrality' toward China, the US, international law (e.g., ICC), and the authority of the United Nations system," McFate said.

Russia's push for a multipolar world order resonates with countries who desire a more equitable international order. And Moscow has shown it does have influence over lower- and middle-income countries, as evidenced by the non-participation or low-level participation of some Asian countries in June's Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland, Derek Grossman, a senior defense analyst at RAND, a think tank, wrote in a July commentary for Foreign Policy.

"While Russia's sway is not at the level of China's or the United States', it is certainly enough to promote its anti-Western interests and disrupt the already precarious regional order," wrote Grossman.

Countries around the world are weighing the dynamics.

" Regional allies will watch with interest to see if great powers can be played off each other," McFate said.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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India, China, Brazil could mediate Russia-Ukraine peace talks: Vladimir Putin

Russian president vladimir putin said that china, india, and brazil could mediate peace talks over ukraine. he referred to a preliminary agreement reached in istanbul as a possible foundation for future negotiations..

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• Preliminary agreement was reached between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators initally
• Talks took place in Istanbul at the start of conflict but never implemented
• Preliminary Istanbul agreement could be basis for peace talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that China, India and Brazil could act as mediators in potential peace talks over Ukraine.

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Can India broker peace deal between Russia and Ukraine? NSA Ajit Doval to travel to Moscow

Doval's trip comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Ukraine, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and discussed peace efforts

National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval will travel to Moscow this week in a bid to reach a peaceful resolution between warring neighbours Russia and Ukraine.

This comes in the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Ukraine, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and discussed peace efforts initiated by India last month.

Highlights from a very special visit to Ukraine, a valued friend of India’s. pic.twitter.com/0LuQ6vm5Iw — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 23, 2024

Following this, on August 27, Modi called Russian President Vladimir Putin and told him that India will send NSA Doval to Moscow.

In July, Modi was in Russia to meet Putin and reiterated India's stance that this is not the era for war.

Doval's visit is part of the BRICS NSA meeting this week ahead of the annual Summit in Kazan. The meeting will see top security officials of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa besides new members Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia. Doval is also expected to hold bilateral talks with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.

Putin had earlier welcomed peace talks, acknowledging that India, China and Brazil as likely mediators. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also said India's efforts towards peace in Ukraine in welcome.

The previous BRICS NSA meeting was conducted in Johannesburg, South Africa, last year.

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India's refusal to take a side in the Ukraine war is frustrating the West. But it has its reasons.

• Despite pressure from Western allies, India has refused to isolate Russia over the Ukraine war.
• India's Narendra Modi this week spoke with both Ukraine's and Russia's leaders.
• India is the world's largest importer of Russian oil and depends on Russia for military equipment.

When Narendra Modi visited Ukraine over the weekend, he greeted its president Volodymyr Zelenskyy with an exuberant bear hug.

He did the same to Vladimir Putin only weeks ago when he traveled to Moscow to meet the Russian president, much to the anger of Zelenskyy.

"It is a huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts to see the leader of the world's largest democracy hug the world's most bloody criminal in Moscow on such a day," Zelenskyy wrote on X at the time.

Modi's visits to both Ukraine and Russia characterize his relentless ambiguity on the Ukraine war. He has not condemned nor supported the invasion and is now acting as a peacemaker.

The diplomatic highwire act highlights the dilemma Modi faces as he seeks to balance pressure from the US to show more support for Ukraine against maintaining good ties with Russia.

A quick end to the war

In the wake of the Ukraine trip, Modi called Putin. In a post on X, Modi said he reiterated "India's firm commitment to support an early, abiding and peaceful resolution of the conflict."

Dinakar Peri, a fellow at the Council for Strategic and Defense Research, told Business Insider that Modi's Ukraine visit was high on symbolism.

"Although the image of India being a peacemaker is largely rhetoric, the fact of the matter is that India is definitely uniquely positioned in comparison to many other countries due to the kind of bandwidth they have with Russia," said Peri.

Rahul Bhatia, an analyst with the Eurasia Group, told BI that while India is reluctant to come down on one side in the Ukraine war, it sees grave dangers in a prolonged conflict in Ukraine.

"India has sought to take a balanced approach to the war in Ukraine. New Delhi wants to maintain its relationship with Russia regardless of its diplomatic isolation," said Bhatia.

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India's ties with the Kremlin are tested

Modi's insistence on not taking a side in Ukraine is likely to baffle and frustrate many Western observers, but analysts say there are vital economic and strategic goals behind India's position.

India has long had close diplomatic ties with Russia . During the Cold War, it relied on the Kremlin for military support while the US-backed regional rival Pakistan.

It now depends on Russia for oil supplies, surpassing China this week to become Russia's top oil importer.

"Most of the oil India imports from Russia is actually going to Europe," said Peri. "India is just a conduit — the oil is refined here, and the refined petroleum products are going to Europe as we speak."

"In that way, India has played the middle role of stabilizing the larger global economy, which would otherwise have gone for a toss."

Peri also pointed out India's dependence on Russia for military equipment, as well as upgrades and spare parts.

"Around 60% of Indian military equipment is of Russian origin," said Peri. "We have received a lot from other countries in the last few decades, like France, Israel, and increasingly so from the US, but we're still heavily Russian-oriented."

But the Ukraine war has shaken up India's relations with the Kremlin.

The US is pressuring India to help isolate Putin as punishment for the Ukraine invasion, and India is worried about the Kremlin's increasingly close relationship with China, which has backed Russia amid the Ukraine invasion.

"India-US ties are not just about Russia or the war in Ukraine," said Peri. "They're also about trade and strategic cooperation, which in some cases is also underpinned by concerns over China or the larger developments in the Indo-Pacific."

India sees Russia as a buffer against China's aggression

India has long been concerned about China's increasing aggressiveness in Asia, with a Himalayan border dispute erupting into clashes that left 24 people dead in 2020.

Indian and Chinese militaries have been engaged in a standoff on the disputed region of Ladakh since 2020. Although the countries have disengaged on several points, the standoff has continued.

Peri said that is India dependent on good ties with the Kremlin to help mitigate that threat: "The standoff created new dynamics for India, and those are all factors which will be in Indian calculations on the stand it takes."

Bhatia agreed that India has an eye on China when it engages with Russia. "While New Delhi accepts that Russia and China will gradually grow closer, it believes that maintaining a good relationship with Moscow will ensure that Russia remains neutral when India-China border tensions flare up," he said.

It also relies on close ties with the US to help counter China's aggression, reviving the "Quad" dialogue with the US, Australia, and Japan in 2017 to counter China's threat.

In the meantime, Modi will likely continue India's tightrope act, maintaining its alliance with the US while seeking not to alienate the Kremlin as it warily watches China's growing might.

Watch: "Neutral" China sends millions in weapons to Russia to fight Ukraine

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Putin Plans First Visit to I.C.C. Member State Since Arrest Warrant

The Russian president will travel to Mongolia, a member of the International Criminal Court, which issued a warrant for his arrest in 2023.

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By Eve Sampson

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia is scheduled to visit Mongolia next week, the Kremlin said on Thursday, despite the Central Asian country’s membership in the International Criminal Court, which issued a warrant for his arrest last year.

Mr. Putin plans to visit the country on Sept. 3 on the invitation of Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, the president of Mongolia, to commemorate the 85th anniversary of a joint military victory, the Kremlin said in a statement . It will be the Russian president’s first trip to an I.C.C. member nation since March 2023, when the court accused him of war crimes in Ukraine and issued a warrant for his arrest.

As part of their membership in the I.C.C., countries are bound by international law to arrest people for whom the court has issued arrest warrants (though that requirement is not always observed).

Here is what to know about the trip.

Will Mr. Putin be arrested?

The Kremlin does not appear to be concerned about Mr. Putin’s security on the trip.

“There are no worries. We have excellent dialogue with our friends in Mongolia,” Dmitri S. Peskov, the spokesman for the Kremlin, said in an interview posted to Telegram, a messaging platform, on Friday, adding that “all aspects of the visit were carefully prepared.”

Mongolia’s Foreign Ministry announced the visit in a news release on Friday.

Mr. Putin is unlikely to face arrest if he is invited into the country, said David Scheffer, a former U.S. ambassador and a chief negotiator of the statute that established the I.C.C. Instead, he added, the Russian president is likely to use the visit to “propagandize and taunt the I.C.C. and Ukraine.”

Mongolia is the country taking a real risk, Mr. Scheffer said, and it is likely to face diplomatic pressure from the I.C.C. and other member states to rescind the invitation. “Mongolia may be jeopardizing some trade and development assistance with other I.C.C. members, as well as diplomatic sanctions, if it entertains Putin without handcuffing him,” he said.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry called on Mongolian officials to arrest Mr. Putin in a statement on Friday.

Mongolian and I.C.C. officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

This is not the first time an I.C.C. member state would stand to face backlash should it fail to arrest someone for whom the court has issued a warrant, said Mr. Scheffer, who pointed to Omar Hassan al-Bashir , the former president of Sudan.

The court issued warrants for Mr. al-Bashir’s arrest in 2009 and 2010, charging him with genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. He eluded arrest in South Africa and Jordan , both of which are I.C.C. member states, though the trips drew international condemnation.

What is Russia and the I.C.C.’s relationship?

A little over a year after Russia invaded Ukraine, the court accused Mr. Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, a top Russian official, of abducting and deporting children from Ukraine, which is a member of the I.C.C., during Russia’s war there. Russian officials have denied the charges.

In June, the court issued arrest warrants for two Russian security officials in connection with strikes against civilian targets.

The I.C.C. was established in 2002 to prosecute people for crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide under the Rome Statute, a 1998 treaty. Before its creation, the United Nations Security Council hosted ad hoc tribunals to prosecute atrocities in places like the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.

More than 120 countries are members of the I.C.C.; the United States is not. But the court cannot try defendants in absentia and has no way to force an accused individual to stand trial. Instead, it relies on officials in member states to detain suspects so they can stand trial in The Hague. Russia, which is not a member of the court, says it will not surrender its own officials.

Mr. Putin previously skipped a long-planned summit with heads of state from Brazil, China and South Africa after South Africa, the host country, faced mounting pressure over its warm relations with the Kremlin. Sergey V. Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, attended the August 2023 meeting in Mr. Putin’s place.

Oleg Matsnev contributed reporting.

Eve Sampson is a reporter covering international news and a member of the 2024-25 Times Fellowship class, a program for journalists early in their careers. More about Eve Sampson

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End to Russia-Ukraine war? After PM Modi, NSA Ajit Doval to visit Russia this week; to discuss peace talks

During his visit, the former ips officer will also take part in the brics-nsa meeting. doval is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with his russian and chinese counterparts..

• Updated Sep 08, 2024, 10:13 AM IST

National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval will visit Russia this week, where he will discuss peace efforts aimed at resolving the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, according to a report by India Today TV. 

During his visit, the former IPS officer will also take part in the BRICS-NSA meeting. Doval is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with his Russian and Chinese counterparts with the possibility of following up on the discussions from the July summit in Moscow. The last BRICS-NSA meeting was held in South Africa's Johannesburg in 2023, where Doval also represented India.

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• Russian President Putin: 'India, China, and Brazil could serve as mediators in peace talks with Ukraine'
• PM Modi Ukraine visit: From boosting trade ties to promoting peace- Here are key highlights from the trip

According to reports, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's telephonic conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin last month, it was discussed that Ajit Doval would be visiting Russia to discuss ideas relating to peace after his Ukraine visit. 

Separately, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that India could help in establishing a dialogue on Ukraine.

The Prime Minister during his visit to Ukraine, the first by an Indian PM since the country gained independence in 1991, urged President Volodymyr Zelensky to engage in direct talks with Russia. The two sides also discussed the Russia-Ukraine conflict that escalated in 2022. During the discussions, the Prime Minister said, “India was never neutral, we have always been on the side of peace.” 

President Putin has recently suggested that he is not against peace and sees Brazil, China and India as possible mediators to end the conflict that erupted on September 24, 2022.  

On September 7, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that India and China can play a role in resolving the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. "I believe China and India have a role to play in resolving the conflict,” France 24 quoted Meloni as saying after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of a conference. 

Russian and Ukrainian negotiators met in Istanbul in the first weeks of the war, but those talks could not make a headway. On the ground, the situation remains bleak with both sides opening up new fronts. Some estimates suggest that the war claimed 500,000 wounded or dead people, according to The New York Times (NYT).

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