Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in India on a two-day visit on December 4-5. During the visit, he met with India’s President and Prime Minister and signed several important MoUs.
SNPNEWS.IN News (Gurmail Kamboj): The Russia-Ukraine war and Western/American economic and social sanctions, Vladimir Putin visited India after four years. This was Putin’s first major foreign trip after the Russia-Ukraine war began.
In November 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited the Russian President for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit. Following this, Vladimir Putin arrived in India on December 4 for a two-day visit.
Upon Putin’s arrival in Delhi, Prime Minister Modi personally went to the airport to welcome the President. Prime Minister Narendra Modi drove Vladimir Putin in his car and hosted a private dinner at his official residence as per protocol. Modi gifted Putin Assam tea and a Russian translation of the Bhagavad Gita.
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The two leaders set a target to increase India-Russia trade to $100 billion by 2030 and emphasized diversification in oil, defense, and energy sectors.
During the meetings between the Prime Minister and the President, 10 inter-governmental documents and more than 15 commercial and non-commercial MoUs were signed.
● Economic Cooperation: Announcement of a program for Russia-India economic cooperation until 2030. In addition to diversifying and balancing bilateral trade, a target was set to increase trade to $100 billion by 2030, with decisions to boost Indian exports in pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and textiles.
● Energy & Fuel Supply: Russia promised uninterrupted oil and gas supply to India and signed an MoU for cooperation in nuclear energy. Despite U.S. sanctions, reliable supply was assured, and discussions were held on small modular reactors and floating nuclear power plants.
● Fertilizers & Chemicals: Russia, one of the world’s largest fertilizer producers and exporters, agreed to a joint venture for a urea plant (with Indian companies partnering with URALCHEM).
● Health & Food Safety: MoU signed between India’s FSSAI and Russia’s food safety authority, along with discussions on cooperation in medical science and consumer protection.
● Maritime & Shipping: MoU signed for specialized training for ships in polar waters between India’s Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and Russia’s Maritime Board. The aim is to strengthen cooperation in the Arctic route, shipping operations, logistics, and the RELOS (Russia-Europe-Land-Sea) pact.
● Migration & Labour Mobility: Two agreements signed for temporary labor activities and cooperation against irregular migration between the two countries. This will provide job opportunities for Indian IT, engineering, and construction workers in Russia and meet Russia’s manpower needs for Russian industries.
● Media & Communication: Cooperation agreement signed between PTI and TASS news agencies for news exchange.
● Education & Science: Cooperation for a space mirror lab between Delhi University and HSE University, and MoU between Defence Institute of Advanced Technology and Tomsk State University. The goal is joint research in space and defense science.
● Defence & Security: Discussions on defense technology exchange, Indra joint exercises, advancing the RELOS pact, S-400 and Su-57 systems. Zero tolerance against terrorism, cooperation on UAV threats, and co-development under Make in India.
● Free Trade Agreement with EAEU: The two leaders discussed quickly signing a Free Trade Agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which will facilitate easier flow of goods, services, and capital.
● Climate & Sustainability: Discussions on joint efforts for low-carbon development, Paris Agreement, and BRICS climate initiatives.
These agreements demonstrate India’s strategic autonomy despite U.S. tariffs and sanctions. Putin challenged America, asking why sanctions on India when the U.S. itself buys Russian oil and energy. India and Russia supported dialogue on the Ukraine war and expressed unity against terrorism. President Putin’s visit has added new depth to India-Russia trade and defense cooperation.
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On December 5, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, President Droupadi Murmu accorded a Guard of Honour and discussed bilateral cooperation. Discussions also took place with PM Modi at a business forum. In the evening, a state banquet was hosted at Rashtrapati Bhavan, after which Vladimir Putin returned to Russia. Opposition parties expressed displeasure over Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge not being invited to the events.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the visit a “time-tested friendship” and personally invited Putin. India’s Ministry of External Affairs described it as strengthening the “special and privileged strategic partnership.”
The Kremlin called the visit a “major political victory” and set a target to increase trade with India to $100 billion by 2030. The Russian parliament approved a military agreement with India before the visit, calling it a step to expand relations.
In an interview with Aaj Tak, Vladimir Putin described his relationship with Modi as “very important” and expressed hope for cooperation and dialogue on the Ukraine war.
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The United States viewed the visit as an obstacle in trade talks with India, as it appears to provide economic support to Russia. Statements of “unbreakable friendship” between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Putin caused displeasure in Washington. The U.S. announced ending Russian gas imports by 2027 but expressed anger over Indian purchases of Russian oil (which have reached 35%).
Before Putin’s arrival, German, French, and British ambassadors jointly wrote an article criticizing Russia’s Ukraine policy and appealing to India to cooperate in peace efforts. DW called it “straining Western relations,” linked to U.S. tariffs and the Ukraine crisis.
U.S. officials said they have “directly raised concerns with India about its ties with Russia.” The visit is being seen in Washington as a test of New Delhi’s ability to balance relations with both the U.S. and Russia, and as a symbol of India’s strategic autonomy.