Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Friday (Dec 5) for summit talks aimed at strengthening trade ties. India remains a major buyer of Russian arms and seaborne oil, especially as Western sanctions continue to strain Moscow’s long-standing partnerships. This marks Putin’s first trip to India in four years, coinciding with New Delhi’s discussions with the United States on a trade agreement to reduce tariffs imposed by former President Donald Trump, which were linked to India’s imports of Russian crude.

Russia has been India’s primary arms supplier for decades and now hopes to expand imports of Indian products as the two nations pursue a trade target of US$100 billion (S$129 billion) by 2030. Currently, trade is heavily tilted toward Russia because of India’s substantial energy purchases. After Europe scaled back its dependence on Russian energy following the invasion of Ukraine nearly four years ago, India increased its intake of discounted Russian crude.

“India faces a dilemma: moving closer to Moscow or Washington risks weakening ties with the other,” wrote Michael Kugelman, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, in Foreign Policy this week. Modi and Putin are expected to cover a range of topics, including labour cooperation and civil nuclear energy. New agreements are likely to be announced to highlight the stability of their partnership.

Modi greeted Putin with a hug and handshake as the Russian leader stepped onto the red carpet at an airport near New Delhi on Thursday for his two-day visit. Later that evening, Modi hosted him for a private dinner at his residence. Putin is accompanied by a business and government delegation, including Defence Minister Andrei Belousov, who met with Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday. According to India’s defence ministry, Belousov said that Russia’s defence industry is ready to support India's goal of becoming self-reliant in defence manufacturing.

Putin's arrival in India follows his meeting with top envoys of Donald Trump to explore a potential peace deal to end the Ukraine conflict, though no agreement was reached. India has avoided directly criticising Russia over the war, instead urging negotiations and diplomacy while arguing that its relations with Moscow are being unfairly singled out by Western nations that continue dealing with Russia when it suits their interests.