Opinion | Putin’s signal to the West
Summary
Russian President Vladimir Putin visits India amid growing geopolitical shifts, focusing on bolstering bilateral trade, energy cooperation, and defence ties despite Western pressures.
Key Points
- Russian President Vladimir Putin is visiting India on December 4-5 for the 23rd bilateral summit, marking his first visit post Ukraine war.
- India maintains strategic autonomy by continuing to import Russian oil despite Western criticism and US pressure to stop.
- Bilateral trade between India and Russia surged to $68.7 billion in FY 2024-25, driven largely by Russian oil imports and facilitated by national currency trade settlements.
- Discussions during the visit will cover energy cooperation, civil nuclear projects, defence procurement including delayed S-400 systems, and geopolitical issues including the US peace plan for Ukraine.
