October 2, 2025
NEW DELHI – Amid ongoing tariff tensions between India and the United States, Russian President Vladimir Putin is likely to visit India in early December for the 23rd India-Russia Summit, sources said.”
If confirmed this will be the first visit of Russian President to India since the Russia-Ukraine conflict commenced in February 2022.
Although there is no official confirmation from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) yet, diplomatic preparations are underway.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is expected to visit India ahead of the summit to lay the groundwork and hold discussions on key bilateral issues.
Putin’s planned visit to India comes against the backdrop of heightened tariff tensions between India and the United States, after Washington imposed an additional 25 percent tariff on Indian goods over New Delhi’s purchase of Russian oil.
“We are currently preparing for President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India in December. We meet regularly bilaterally and on the sidelines of international events,” Deputy National Security Advisor Pawan Kapoor was quoted as saying by Russia’s state-owned news agency Tass following the Russian-Indian consultations on regional issues held in Moscow on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during a telephonic conversation with Putin on September 17, had reiterated India’s support for a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine conflict and said he looks forward to welcome the Russian President to India later this year .Putin had also conveyed his greetings to Modi on the Prime Minister’s 75th birthday.
The two leaders took stock of various issues on the bilateral agenda in the run up to 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit.
“The Prime Minister conveyed that he looks forward to welcoming President Putin to India later this year. The Prime Minister reiterated India’s full support for peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict,” the PMO had said in a statement.
Putin’s planned summit comes amid complex global situations, including the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The visit will highlight India’s strategic autonomy in maintaining relations with both Russia and Ukraine.
The visit will also reinforce the long-standing camaraderie between New Delhi and Moscow, while also opening new avenues for cooperation in emerging sectors. Given India’s non-alignment with the International Criminal Court (ICC), Putin’s visit to India is feasible without concerns over the ICC arrest warrant.
At the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 27, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had announced that a visit by the Russian President is planned for New Delhi in December, marking the ongoing diplomatic preparations.
Speaking about India-Russia relations, Lavrov highlighted the depth of the bilateral agenda, covering trade, military and technical cooperation, finance, humanitarian matters, healthcare, high technology, artificial intelligence, and close coordination at international forums such as the SCO and BRICS.