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Russian President Vladimir Putin will be in India for a summit this week aimed at deepening economic, defense and energy ties, a visit that will also test New Delhi’s efforts to balance ties moscow And as the war in Washington ukraine Grinds.
Putin is scheduled to arrive on a state visit on Thursday and hold talks with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi On Friday. The two governments said they are expected to review progress on bilateral relations, discuss issues of mutual interest and sign interdepartmental and commercial agreements.
India It has continued to buy Russian oil at a discounted rate to partly finance Moscow’s revenues, despite warnings from Washington. ukraine war. us President donald trump has imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian imports in retaliation, taking the total duty to 50%.
India has defended its imports as essential to meet the growing energy needs of its 1.4 billion people.
Putin last visited India in 2021. Modi was in Moscow last year, and the two leaders had met briefly in China on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in September.
decisive diplomatic moment
The India-Russia summit comes as the United States renews its push for a Ukraine peace plan and seeks broader cooperation from key partners.
us President donald trumpThe peace plan has raised concerns that it is too tilted toward Moscow. The proposal was revised after US and Ukrainian officials met in Geneva more than a week ago.
Modi has avoided condemning Russia for the fighting in Ukraine, stressing the need for a peaceful solution.
Shriram Sunder Chaulia is an expert in international affairs with the Jindal School of International Affairs. New DelhiHe said India has avoided playing a direct mediation role as it could complicate its relations with both Russia and the US.
Chaulia said, “But Modi’s behind-the-scenes diplomacy is possible and has already happened to some extent.”
“Modi may try to provoke Putin to accommodate some Ukrainian and European concerns to end hostilities,” he said.
Main focus of Putin’s visit is economic cooperation
According to Indian officials involved in preparations for the summit, India and Russia will focus on strengthening their bilateral ties and are expected to deliver a package of documents focused on economic cooperation, trade facilitation, maritime, health care and media exchanges. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the details are not public.
India is keen to increase exports of pharmaceuticals, agriculture and textiles to Russia and is seeking removal of non-tariff barriers. New Delhi is also seeking long-term supply of fertilizers from Moscow.
Another key area where both the countries are working to finalize an agreement is the safe and regulated migration of Indian skilled workers to Russia.
US pressure on India to give up Russian oil
The US has pressured India to stop purchasing subsidized Russian oil, accusing New Delhi of helping Moscow’s war efforts. In August, Trump imposed a 50% tariff on Indian imports to increase pressure on the issue.
India rejected the allegation, saying it abides by international sanctions and gives priority to its national interest and energy security. But its situation may become more complicated after new US sanctions on Russian oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil. Indian officials said the country would refrain from buying oil from sanctioned producers, while keeping options open with companies not targeted by the sanctions.
“India will certainly emphasize that there is no Indian desire to completely cut off energy supplies from Russia,” said Harsh Pant, vice president of foreign policy at the Observer Research Foundation, a New Delhi-based think tank.
Pant said future imports would depend “on market forces and how effective the sanctions are in distancing the Indian private sector or Indian state-run companies from Russian energy sources”.
Energy cooperation is expected to feature prominently at the summit, including India’s investment in Russia’s Far East and expanded civil nuclear cooperation. The Kudankulam nuclear power plant, built with Russian aid in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, remains the centerpiece of that partnership, and officials said talks were ongoing on local equipment manufacturing and potential joint projects in third countries.
Defense cooperation at its core
India is expected to pressure Russia for faster delivery of two more S-400 surface-to-air missile squadrons, after receiving three under a 2018 deal worth about $5.4 billion. The delays are linked to supply chain disruptions linked to the war in Ukraine.
Indian officials are also likely to explore the possibility of acquiring additional S-400 units or an upgraded version, although no contract or announcement is expected.
Indian defense planners say the S-400 proved effective during a brief military standoff with Pakistan in May.
“The meeting will focus on broader elements of institutional cooperation on defense between our two sides and will try to ensure that delivery delays are eliminated. Potentially, S-400 additions have not been ruled out, but no announcements are expected during the visit,” India’s Defense Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh said at a security conference in New Delhi last week.
Talks are also expected to take place on upgrading India’s Russian-made Su-30MKI fighter aircraft and accelerating the delivery of critical military hardware, as well as improving coordination on joint exercises and disaster relief.
Despite India diversifying its purchases of military hardware over the years, Russia remains its largest supplier. Moscow is keen to sell its stealth fighter jet Su-57 to India, but New Delhi has kept its options open to other foreign suppliers as well.