Putin Begins Two-Day India Visit Focused on Defense and Energy Ties

Overview

• Putin arrived in New Delhi for the 23rd annual India–Russia summit, starting a two-day program that includes a private dinner and bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• Talks emphasize expanded defense cooperation, with S-400 supplies on the agenda and reported offers for Su-57 fighter co-production and a 10-year Russian submarine lease of about $2 billion.
• Energy trade is central as Russian crude has grown to roughly 35% of India’s imports from about 2–2.5% before the war, though purchases have recently eased under U.S. sanctions and a 50% tariff.
• The Kremlin says alternative payment mechanisms are under discussion to shield bilateral commerce from Western restrictions.
• This is Putin’s first visit to India since the 2022 Ukraine invasion, a diplomatic signal that Russia is not isolated, and the ICC warrant is not an obstacle because India is not a Rome Statute signatory.