Amidst the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to travel to Russia in July for bilateral discussions and the annual India-Russia summit. This visit, if confirmed, marks Modi’s first trip to Russia in five years and is set to encompass talks on defense cooperation, oil, gas, and other strategic interests significant to India, as per senior government sources.
While official confirmation is awaited from the Indian side, this visit would notably be Modi’s first to Russia since the onset of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The last meeting between Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin occurred on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Uzbekistan in 2022. During this meeting, Modi emphasized the contemporary imperative of peace over conflict.
Putin, recently inaugurated for his fifth consecutive term as Russia’s President in May, and Modi, who assumed office for a third consecutive term as India’s Prime Minister on June 9, are expected to further strengthen the enduring bilateral relationship. Despite Western sanctions on Moscow and global criticism of Russia’s actions in Ukraine, India has refrained from condemning Russia at the United Nations and has maintained robust defense ties due to its ongoing border tensions with China, heavily reliant on Russian defense procurements.
