What did Putin’s go to to India obtain? , defined

The story to date: When it comes to protocol, the federal government gave Russian President Vladimir Putin his warmest welcome but. Prime Minister Narendra Modi acquired him on the purple carpet on the New Delhi tarmac, after which traveled with him to the PM’s residence for a personal dinner. On the finish of the 30-hour journey, President Droupadi Murmu hosted him for a banquet as nicely. Mr. Modi referred to as the India-Russia relationship regular like a “pole star (dhruva tara)”Nevertheless, the result of the Modi-Putin summit has been modest,

What are the principle takeaways?

Forward of Mr. Putin’s go to, his first because the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022the India-Pakistan battle this 12 months, and the downturn in India-US ties, there was appreciable hypothesis that the 2 sides had been engaged on a considerable set of agreements on protection cooperation, procurement and expertise switch offers in plane, air protection programs, drones and missiles. Nevertheless, the assembly between Protection Minister Rajnath Singh and his Russian counterpart Andrei Belousov earlier than Mr. Putin landed, ended with none bulletins. As a substitute, the main focus was squarely on financial cooperation, and taking ahead the roadmap on the “Improvement of Strategic Areas of India — Russia Financial Cooperation until 2030” that was launched throughout Mr. Modi’s go to to Moscow in 2024To this finish, they introduced a “Labor Mobility Settlement” that can facilitate Indian expert employees to work in Russia, the place manpower shortages for 3 million jobs are anticipated by the tip of the last decade, Russian and Indian fertilizer firms additionally signed an MoU to construct a urea plant in Russia, Aside from this, the 2 sides signed agreements on maritime cooperation, ports and customs, The 2 sides anticipated to clean the trail for bilateral commerce, notably by way of the Chennai-Vladivostok Japanese Maritime Hall and Worldwide North South Transport Hall, India and Russia agreed to proceed working in direction of enhancing the settlement of bilateral commerce of their nationwide currencies, There have been no bulletins, nonetheless, on oil procurement, that made up greater than $60 billion of the $69 billion commerce final 12 months, nor had been there any concrete outcomes on house and nuclear cooperation,

Was the Ukraine struggle an element?

Mr. Putin’s go to to India, at a time the Ukraine struggle might head into its fourth 12 months, was vital, because it got here throughout intense negotiations over a US-led peace proposal geared toward ending the battle final week in Moscow. In feedback to the media previous to his talks, Mr. Modi thanked Mr. Putin for “all the time preserving India briefed” in regards to the battle, and hoping for it to finish. “India isn’t impartial, it stands on the aspect of peace,” Mr. Modi stated. Mr. Putin additionally stated he hoped for peace, and signaled some hope for the US proposal. Nevertheless, the bigger shadow over the talks was of Western sanctions on Russia which have exacted a excessive price on India. Whereas Mr. Putin promised “uninterrupted gas provides to India”, and the Ministry of Exterior Affairs (MEA) has stated it might solely bow to “business concerns” on oil purchases, it might appear European sanctions on Russian and Indian oil firms in addition to the hefty 25% tariff added on to Indian items by the US have dented India’s resolve. Figures present, that in 2025, the year-on-year consumption of Russian oil has been minimize drastically (38% yoy down in worth in October 2025). The 2 sides can also have stayed away from bulletins within the discipline of defence, house and nuclear cooperation throughout Mr. Putin’s go to, simply in case the US revisits its 2018 CAATSA (Countering America’s Adversaries By Sanctions Act) regulation that sanctions strategic purchases from Russia. As well as, a warning shot from three European Ambassadors (the UK, Germany and France) in an article criticizing Russia for the struggle in Ukraine, that appeared simply days earlier than Mr. Putin’s go to, might have given the federal government some cause to pause, despite the fact that the MEA referred to as the article’s “public recommendation” to India, “unacceptable”. It is usually vital that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who had final 12 months criticized Mr. Modi for embracing Mr. Putin in Moscow, remained silent on the hugs and bonhomie in Delhi, probably as a result of some deft diplomacy by New Delhi, and owing to the delicate stage the US-led peace talks are at.

What might be the best way ahead?

For New Delhi, an finish to the battle in Ukraine will ease the tightrope stroll it’s at the moment being pressured into as a result of deep polarization between Russia and Europe, and as Russia’s dependency on China grows. Mr. Putin’s go to got here only a month earlier than doubtless visits from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the European Union’s prime management Ursula Von Der Leyen and Antonio Costa for Republic Day. The EU-India Summit is being held after an extended hole, and the EU-India Free Commerce Settlement is anticipated to be signed. In February, New Delhi expects French President Emmanuel Macron and different Western leaders on the Synthetic Intelligence Summit, and Canadian PM Mark Carney thereafter. In the meantime, the India-US free commerce settlement, that hopes to see a rollback of extreme US tariffs, can be in a decisive part. In that sense, New Delhi hoped the Putin-visit, that was lengthy delayed, could be a “win-win.” It needed the go to to be a reaffirmation of its conventional ties with Russia, whereas guaranteeing the outcomes didn’t increase a protest from the West. This may enable India to proceed to uphold its decades-old coverage of “strategic autonomy.”