Overview
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi phoned President Vladimir Putin to convey 73rd birthday wishes in their fourth call since early August.
- Both leaders reviewed progress and said they look forward to the 23rd India–Russia Annual Summit, with Putin confirming plans to travel in early December.
- Putin briefed Modi on the Ukraine conflict, and Modi reiterated India’s consistent preference for a peaceful resolution through dialogue.
- Preparations for the visit are underway, with a Sergey Lavrov trip to India and an IRIGC–M&MTC meeting expected ahead of the summit.
- Context for the talks includes U.S. tariffs on Indian goods reported at about 50 percent, as Putin praised Modi’s leadership and flagged steps to ease trade imbalances by boosting Russian purchases of Indian goods.