India not neutral, is on side of peace: PM's message to Putin on Ukraine war
Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday that India is not neutral but firmly on the side of peace in the Ukraine war, echoing the position he conveyed to Donald Trump earlier this year. In their high-profile bilateral meeting in New Delhi, Modi hailed Putin as a visionary leader and stressed that this is an era of peace, expressing confidence that recent global efforts would steer the world back toward stability. In his televised opening remarks at the summit, Modi said the conflict should come to an end through dialogue and diplomacy. On his part, Putin said Russia is working on a peaceful solution to the conflict. Russian President Vladimir Putin, on a two-day state visit to India, was accorded a tri-services guard of honour at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday morning in the presence of President Droupadi Murmu. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan were among the dignitaries present. Putin arrived in New Delhi on Thursday, where Modi received him at the airport with a warm embrace and a firm handshake, underscoring the personal rapport between the two leaders. The Russian President also visited Raj Ghat to pay homage at Mahatma Gandhis memorial before heading to Hyderabad House for talks. The days key engagement is the 23rd IndiaRussia Annual Summit, during which Modi and Putin will explore ways to deepen economic and strategic cooperation, with a particular focus on defence, energy and skilled-labour mobility. A joint press statement outlining agreements and shared priorities will follow their discussions. Both leaders will then interact with top Indian and Russian business executives, after which President Murmu will host a state banquet in honour of the Russian leader before his departure. Putin is accompanied by Defence Minister Andrei Belousov and a heavyweight delegation from Russias business and industrial sectors, including leaders from state arms exporter Rosoboronexport and heads of sanctioned oil firms Rosneft and Gazprom Neft. The Kremlin described Putins visit as of great importance, noting it would allow the two nations to comprehensively review their particularly privileged strategic partnership. This year also marks 25 years of the India-Russia strategic partnership, initiated during Putins first year in office in 2000. The annual summit tradition, held alternately in Moscow and New Delhi, was disrupted in 2022 after Russias invasion of Ukraine. Modis scheduled visit to Moscow that year was cancelled, and Putin skipped the 2023 G20 Summit in Delhi due to an ICC arrest warrant against him over the Ukraine conflict. With Modi visiting Moscow earlier this year, the return leg of the annual summit has now resumed after a four-year gap. The visit comes as New Delhi is engaged in sensitive negotiations with Washington over punitive tariffs reimposed by US President Donald Trump, tariffs linked indirectly to Indias continued purchase of discounted Russian crude. Russia remains Indias largest defence supplier despite New Delhis parallel push to diversify military imports. India expects to raise with Moscow the delayed delivery of two remaining S-400 surface-to-air missile systems under the 2018 deal worth USD 5.4 billion. Three S-400 units have already been supplied, and the system is believed to have performed effectively during the military standoff with Pakistan in May. India is also exploring procurement of additionalS-400 units or an upgraded variant, though no formal announcement is expected during the visit. Upgrades to Indias Russian-origin Su-30MKI fighter fleet and the status of pending military hardware deliveries are also on the agenda. Moscow is reportedly keen on offering its fifth-generation Su-57 stealth fighter jet to India, though New Delhi is evaluating options from other global suppliers as well. The two countries aim to push bilateral trade, which is heavily skewed in Russias favour due to Indias large crude oil imports, towards the jointly set target of USD 100 billion by 2030. With Europe cutting back on Russian energy purchases post-Ukraine invasion, India has emerged as one of the largest buyers of discounted Russian crude. Multiple agreements in shipping, fertilisers, connectivity, healthcare and labour mobility are expected on Friday, strengthening both economic ties and people-centric cooperation frameworks. Washington has criticised Indias Russian oil imports, saying they help fund Moscows war effort. India has defended its purchases as essential for its energy security needs, a point expected to be raised during Modi-Putin discussions.
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