Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Moscow in early July for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, marking his first trip to Russia since 2019 and the onset of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. This visit would be Modi’s first to Russia in five years and his first to Moscow since 2015.
The visit is still in the planning stages, with no formal announcements from either the Indian or Russian sides. Sources in New Delhi and Moscow, speaking anonymously, indicated that Modi is expected to make a brief, day-long visit to Russia, potentially on July 8. Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov confirmed the preparations, though he did not specify the dates, emphasizing that they would be announced jointly by both nations once finalized.
Modi’s visit will be an official one, focusing on meetings and discussions rather than ceremonial aspects. Notably, India has yet to send an advance liaison team to Russia, a standard procedure for foreign visits by the Prime Minister.
Modi and Putin last met in September 2022 during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. At that time, Modi urged Putin to pursue dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the Ukraine conflict. The two leaders have since communicated several times by phone, with Putin congratulating Modi on his election victory as recently as June 5.
This anticipated visit follows Modi’s decision to skip the SCO Summit in Kazakhstan on July 3-4, due to the ongoing parliamentary session and strained relations with China. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will represent India at the SCO Summit. Modi’s absence from this summit avoids direct encounters with leaders like Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The proposed Moscow visit signifies India’s commitment to its policy of strategic autonomy. Despite enhancing strategic and security ties with the US and other Western nations, India has refrained from publicly criticizing Russia’s actions in Ukraine. Instead, it has increased its purchase of discounted Russian crude oil, citing the need to manage domestic oil prices. Nonetheless, India consistently calls for an end to hostilities in Ukraine and advocates for dialogue and diplomacy.
The India-Russia annual summit, initiated in 2000 with the signing of the ‘Declaration on the India-Russia Strategic Partnership,’ is a critical platform for high-level dialogue between the two nations. The tradition alternates between India and Russia, fostering cooperation across various fields. The most recent summit was held in December 2021 in New Delhi, but no summits have occurred in the past two years due to the pandemic and geopolitical issues in Eastern Europe.
Modi’s visit, potentially happening just a month into his third term and following Putin’s re-election for a fifth term, will precede the BRICS Summit in Kazan in October, where Modi is expected to participate. This visit also highlights Russia’s role as India’s primary supplier of defense equipment and a key provider of discounted crude oil.
