Modi–Putin Summit Aims to Protect Trade From Sanctions, Boost Defence Ties:

This will be President Putin’s first trip to India since the start of the Ukraine conflict, and it is being closely watched by the international community. Both sides see the summit as an opportunity to reinforce their partnership at a time when global politics is going through major changes.Russian President Vladimir Putin will arrive in New Delhi on Thursday, December 4, for a two-day visit that aims to strengthen the long-standing relationship between India and Russia. His visit will include the annual India–Russia summit talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, December 5. This summit, which used to take place every year before the Russia–Ukraine war, is being held again after a long gap, making it an important moment for both countries.According to officials, several key agreements are expected to be discussed and possibly finalized during the summit. One of the main items on the agenda is protecting India–Russia trade from US sanctions, especially those imposed during former US President Donald Trump’s administration. The Kremlin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said that Russia plans to use the summit to ensure that bilateral trade remains stable and does not get affected by external pressure. India and Russia have been long-standing partners in defence cooperation, and this area will again be a major focus of the talks. Both countries are expected to discuss ways to deepen defence ties, explore new military projects, and secure the supply of defence equipment. A significant development ahead of the summit was the Russian Parliament’s approval of a key defence agreement known as the Reciprocal Exchange of Logistic Support (RELOS). This agreement, signed earlier on February 18, will allow both countries to use each other’s military facilities for logistics support, such as refueling, maintenance, and supplies. Speaking at the State Duma after the ratification, Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said that India and Russia share a “strategic and comprehensive” relationship and that the approval of the agreement is another step toward strengthening mutual cooperation. Energy cooperation is another important subject on the table. Russia is expected to offer India small modular reactors for nuclear energy, which could become a new area of collaboration. India, which is expanding its clean energy sector, sees this as a potential opportunity to diversify its energy sources. Trade and mobility are also likely to see progress. Officials from India’s external affairs ministry revealed that the two countries have finalized an agreement on the movement of skilled and semi-skilled workers. This could open up more job opportunities for Indian professionals in Russia and help support various sectors of the Russian economy. In addition, India and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) — a five-member bloc including Russia — have started talks on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Negotiations began last week and are expected to address India’s concerns about tariffs and non-tariff barriers that have made trade with the region difficult in the past. If completed, the FTA could boost economic relations and make goods more affordable and easier to trade on both sides. For India, the summit is a chance to reaffirm its strategic autonomy. Despite pressure from the United States to reduce its oil and defence purchases from Russia, New Delhi has maintained that its decisions are based on national interests. The meeting between Modi and Putin will showcase India’s effort to balance its global partnerships while keeping its long-standing ties with Russia intact. Overall, Putin’s visit signals that both countries are ready to reinvigorate their partnership. With defence, energy, labour mobility, and trade at the center of discussions, the summit is expected to shape the next phase of India–Russia relations.

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