Overview

• Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet Monday in Tianjin on the sidelines of the SCO summit to plan the December visit.
• President Donald Trump recently imposed an extra 25% levy on Indian imports, taking many tariffs to 50%, citing India's purchases of discounted Russian crude.
• India's ambassador to Russia, Vinay Kumar, called the US move unfair and said Indian companies would keep buying oil based on the best commercial terms to ensure energy security.
• Putin will spend Aug. 31–Sept. 3 in China for the SCO meetings, hold extensive talks with Xi Jinping in Beijing, attend a World War II commemoration parade, and meet leaders including Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iran's Masoud Pezeshkian, with a possible Kim Jong Un meeting under consideration.
• Putin has curtailed foreign travel since the ICC issued a warrant, and India is not an ICC member; Russia-India ties remain anchored in energy and defense, with officials highlighting their 'special strategic partnership' as Russia pivots trade to Asian markets.