Russian President Vladimir Putin’s arrival in New Delhi on December 4, 2025, marked a pivotal moment for the relationship between Russia and India, as both nations sought to reinforce their decades-old partnership amid shifting global power dynamics and mounting pressure from the West. Greeted with a warm embrace by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Putin’s two-day visit was not just ceremonial—it was packed with high-stakes negotiations, symbolic gestures, and the unmistakable undertone of geopolitical maneuvering.
The red carpet was literally rolled out for Putin. At the presidential palace, he received an honor guard and a 21-gun salute, underscoring the gravity India places on its ties with Moscow. This was Putin’s first trip to India since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, a conflict that has upended global alliances and sent shockwaves through international markets. The summit, held at a time when India faces intense scrutiny from the United States and Europe for its continued economic engagement with Russia, put defense and trade front and center.
According to BBC News, India and Russia were poised to sign a flurry of agreements spanning oil, defense, technology, and even space exploration. Putin himself, sitting beside Modi at the start of formal talks, expressed optimism, telling reporters, “I expect a fruitful day tackling a great number of documents, including in areas of defense, technology, aircraft and space exploration.” The two leaders also shared a private dinner after Modi welcomed Putin at the airport—a symbolic gesture that mirrored a similar show of camaraderie during their last meeting in China.
But beneath the pageantry lay a complex web of economic and strategic calculations. India, with its population nearing 1.5 billion and economic growth exceeding 8%, represents a massive market for Russian goods—especially oil. Before the war in Ukraine, only 2.5% of India’s oil imports came from Russia. By 2025, that figure had skyrocketed to 35%, as India seized the opportunity to buy discounted Russian crude, filling a void left by European buyers shunning Moscow over its actions in Ukraine. This arrangement, while lucrative for both sides, has not gone unnoticed by Washington.
Earlier in 2025, the Trump administration ratcheted up the pressure, imposing a 25% tariff on Indian goods, arguing that India’s purchases of Russian oil were helping to fund the Kremlin’s war effort. Then, in August, President Donald Trump went further, slapping a 50% tariff on most Indian products. The message from Washington was clear: India’s balancing act between East and West was reaching its limits. According to AFP, India’s orders for Russian oil have dropped since then, but the need for affordable energy remains a top priority for New Delhi.
Putin, for his part, was eager to keep India in the Russian energy fold. Moscow’s restricted access to European markets has made India an indispensable customer. Yet, the relationship is not just about oil. Weapons sales have long been a cornerstone of Russia-India ties, dating back to the Soviet era. Despite a notable decline in the share of Russian arms in India’s arsenal—from 76% in 2009-13 to 36% in 2019-23, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute—India still relies heavily on Russian platforms. Many of its 29 air force squadrons fly Russian Sukhoi-30 jets, and the S-400 air defense systems have proven their worth in recent border skirmishes.
Now, with regional security concerns heightened by Pakistan’s acquisition of China-made J-35 fifth-generation stealth fighters, India is eyeing the purchase of Russia’s upgraded S-500 air defense systems and the Su-57 fifth-generation fighter jet. However, Western sanctions and the ongoing war in Ukraine have delayed deliveries, with some S-400 units now expected only in 2026. Modi, according to reports cited by BBC News, was keen to secure guarantees from Putin on these timelines.
Yet, the economic relationship between the two countries remains lopsided. Bilateral trade soared from $8.1 billion in 2020 to $68.72 billion by March 2025, largely driven by India’s Russian oil purchases. But Indian exports to Russia accounted for only $4.88 billion, with consumer goods like smartphones, shrimp, meat, and garments barely making a dent in Russian markets. As the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) put it, “Consumer-oriented and high-visibility categories remain marginal... underscoring India’s limited penetration in Russia’s retail markets and electronics value chains despite geopolitical churn.”
Modi’s challenge, therefore, was twofold: to reduce India’s trade dependence on Russian oil and defense imports, and to unlock greater access for Indian products in the Russian market. “This visit is part of India’s diversification strategy, both in terms of strategic and economic, especially at a time when the US tariffs have hurt India,” Ashok Malik of The Asia Group told AFP. The two leaders also discussed co-production ventures in defense and technology, aiming to deepen industrial cooperation and insulate their economies from external shocks.
But the visit was about more than just business. It was a test of India’s vaunted “strategic autonomy”—the ability to maintain close ties with both Russia and the West without being forced to choose sides. Modi has long advocated dialogue as the only way to resolve the Ukraine conflict and has resisted Western calls to publicly criticize Moscow. During the summit, Putin reportedly shared with Modi “a great deal of details about the events taking place in Ukraine” and Moscow’s efforts, “together with some partners, including the United States, on a possible peaceful settlement.” Modi replied that India was “on the side of peace.”
This balancing act is nothing new for India. “Balancing acts are second nature to Indian foreign policy making,” former Indian envoy to Russia Pankaj Saran wrote in the Times of India. Yet, the stakes have never been higher. European ambassadors in Delhi recently published a joint article criticizing Russia’s actions in Ukraine, reminding Modi that his maneuvers are being closely watched not just in Washington, but across the Atlantic as well.
For Russia, the optics of the visit were invaluable. The Kremlin is keen to demonstrate that Western efforts to isolate it have failed. “We are not isolated, because we have connections to Asia and the Global South. Economically, this is the future,” Novaya Gazeta columnist Andrei Kolesnikov told BBC News. The image of Putin, Modi, and China’s Xi Jinping smiling together at a recent summit sent a clear message: Moscow still has powerful friends who support a “multi-polar world.”
As the summit drew to a close, both sides reiterated their commitment to a “special and privileged strategic partnership.” The deals signed may have been modest in scope, but the symbolism was unmistakable. For Modi, the visit was an opportunity to show that India can chart its own course in a turbulent world—protecting its interests without alienating old friends or new partners. For Putin, it was a chance to remind the world that Russia is far from isolated, and that its relationship with India is as vital as ever.
With the ink barely dry on new agreements and the world watching closely, the India-Russia partnership is being reshaped in real time—one handshake, one deal, and one diplomatic balancing act at a time.