Russian President Vladimir Putin received an elaborate ceremonial welcome in New Delhi for a two-day state visit — his first to India since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine — that included an honor guard, brass band, devotional lamps on the Ganges, and a warm public greeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The trip underscored New Delhi’s drive to preserve its long-standing relationship with Moscow despite growing international pressure to distance itself. Analysts said the visit signals that India wants to keep its strategic options open rather than sever ties. Chietigj Bajpaee of Chatham House called it an effort to reaffirm the India‑Russia partnership at a time when New Delhi faces calls to downgrade that relationship.
India’s ties with Russia date back to the Soviet era and were shaped by strategic concerns on the subcontinent: Pakistan’s postures with the United States, a historic opening between Washington and Beijing, and an unresolved, lengthy border dispute with China across the Himalayas. The visit also carried diplomatic weight for Putin, whose foreign travel has been limited since the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for him in March 2023.
After their bilateral talks, the leaders announced measures to make it easier for more Indians to work in Russia. Putin, speaking through a translator, said Russia was prepared to continue “uninterrupted shipments of fuel” to support India’s expanding economy.
Energy has been central to the relationship. India sharply increased purchases of Russian crude after the invasion and has become one of the world’s largest buyers, even re‑exporting refined products. In recent weeks, however, some Indian firms cut back purchases in response to external pressures — including tougher U.S. measures such as punitive tariff increases and sanctions affecting Kremlin‑linked producers — and to comply with an EU ban on certain refined products derived from Russian crude. Reliance Industries, a major importer, paused some purchases for export‑oriented refining products to meet those rules.
How Russia would sustain ‘‘uninterrupted’’ fuel shipments under sanctions and higher tariffs is unclear. Research groups have documented rising sanctions‑avoidance tactics at sea, including ships using false flags to conceal cargoes. Indian officials have pushed back against calls to curb Russian energy imports as unreasonable, noting that European and U.S. buyers also purchase Russian energy.
At the same time, India has been increasing purchases of U.S. crude and liquefied natural gas — moves interpreted by some analysts as both a gesture toward Washington and an effort to narrow India’s trade deficit with the United States. “India is navigating a difficult path,” Bajpaee said, balancing continued closeness with Moscow against deepening ties with the West.
Modi’s public remarks referred to “the situation in Ukraine,” expressing India’s welcome for efforts toward a peaceful, lasting settlement and saying India stood ready to contribute. It was not spelled out whether he meant U.S. mediation efforts; this week, reports said Trump associates reportedly held talks with Putin, while Putin told an Indian news outlet he could not accept some of those proposals without elaboration.
Beyond energy and labor mobility, the two governments signed several agreements and reiterated a mutual goal of raising bilateral trade to $100 billion. Today’s trade, analysts note, remains heavily one‑sided, largely driven by Indian imports of Russian fossil fuels.
Bajpaee and other observers argue that while Russia continues to be an important strategic partner for New Delhi, the relationship may evolve toward a “managed decline” in political closeness as India expands practical cooperation with the United States, even amid periodic tensions. India already conducts more joint military exercises with the U.S. than with any other country, carrying out multiple drills in the past year. From New Delhi’s perspective, recent developments have at times made Russia seem a steadier partner, while U.S. behavior can appear unpredictable — a dynamic that helps explain India’s careful balancing act.