Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to India on December 4–5 for high-level talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Kremlin confirmed on Thursday. The visit, announced simultaneously by Moscow and India’s Ministry of External Affairs, marks Putin’s first trip to India since the war in Ukraine began in 2022.

Putin will attend the 23rd India–Russia Annual Summit, a longstanding mechanism that alternates between the two countries. The Foreign Ministry said the leaders will “review the full spectrum of the India–Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership” and discuss regional and global developments.

Indian President Droupadi Murmu is also scheduled to host Putin at an official state banquet.

Defense and energy expected to dominate

Although neither side has released an official agenda, diplomats and analysts expect defense cooperation, energy ties, and trade imbalances to be central to the discussions.

India remains one of Russia’s largest defense partners, and several outlets have reported that New Delhi may seek additional S-400 air-defense system squadrons and progress on joint projects such as helicopters and fighter aircraft.

On the economic front, bilateral trade hit a record high in 2024–2025, driven almost entirely by India’s purchases of discounted Russian crude oil. Indian exports to Russia, however, remain comparatively small, and New Delhi is expected to push for improved market access to narrow the widening trade gap.

Civil-nuclear cooperation and long-term energy agreements are also likely to feature in the talks, given India’s expanding energy needs and Russia’s interest in securing stable non-Western markets.

Read more: India weighs major expansion of S-400 fleet; Su-57 stays off the table

Strategic significance

The summit comes at a sensitive geopolitical moment. India has maintained a policy of strategic autonomy since the outbreak of the Ukraine war, continuing to deepen ties with Russia despite pressure from the US and European partners.

For Moscow, the visit underscores Russia’s effort to strengthen partnerships outside the Western sphere, particularly with major Asian powers. For India, it reaffirms the country’s commitment to a diversified foreign policy approach that balances relations with Russia, the United States, Europe, and China.

Putin’s visit also follows several high-level India–Russia engagements this year, including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s trip to New Delhi and ongoing negotiations over long-term oil supply, logistics corridors, and rupee-ruble payment mechanisms.

The summit is expected to produce several bilateral agreements across political, economic, technological, and cultural fields.

Read more: India refuses to yield on Russian oil amid US-EU sanctions: Analysis