Putin and Modhi to discuss Russa-India trade and defence ties

Russian president Vladimir Putin is set to hold talks with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi at an annual summit aimed at strengthening bilateral ties on the second day of his state visit.

The 23rd Russia-India Summit comes at a pivotal moment, as the United States pushes for a Ukraine peace deal while seeking global cooperation.

The talks will test New Delhi’s efforts to balance relations with Moscow and Washington as the nearly four-year war in Ukraine grinds on.

Mr Putin was received by Modi at an airport in New Delhi on Thursday. According to Indian officials, the agenda includes talks on defence, energy and labour mobility.

While India has historically maintained deep ties with Russia, critics say Mr Putin’s visit could strain relations with the European Union and the United States and might jeopardise negotiations for major trade agreements with both that are seen as critical for India’s exports.

US president Donald Trump raised tariffs on Indian goods to 50% in August, citing New Delhi’s discounted Russian oil. India has been the second biggest importer of Russian crude after China.

The US says purchases of Russian oil help finance Moscow’s war machine. In October, America sanctioned two of Moscow’s biggest oil producers to force countries like India to cut down on imports.

Indian officials have said New Delhi has always abided by international sanctions and would do so in the case of Russia oil purchases as well.

India and the US set a target for the first tranche of a trade deal by this autumn, but the deal has not come through yet amid strains in relations.

New Delhi is also in the final stages of talks on a trade agreement with the EU, which sees Russia’s war in Ukraine as a major threat.

In his meeting with Mr Putin, Mr Modi is likely to push for faster delivery of two further more Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile systems.

It has already received three under a 2018 deal worth about 5.4 billion dollars. The delay has been tied to supply chain disruptions linked to the war in Ukraine.

The two sides signed a pact in February to improve military cooperation, exercises, port calls, disaster relief assistance and logistics support.

Moscow’s State Duma ratified the same ahead of Mr Putin’s India visit.

Talks are also expected on upgrading India’s Russian-made Su-30MKI fighter jets and accelerating deliveries of critical military hardware.

Trade is also expected to be a major point in talks.