Putin Strengthens Ties with India During Landmark Visit

Vladimir Putin commenced a two-day visit to India today, marking his first trip since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This visit is significant as it aims to solidify the ongoing partnership between Russia and India, with both leaders expected to sign agreements focused on defense and energy cooperation.

Western nations have made attempts to create a divide between Moscow and New Delhi, yet these efforts have not succeeded. On Monday, the ambassadors of Germany, France, and the British High Commissioner in New Delhi published an article in the Times of India, attributing blame to Putin for the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs expressed its disapproval, stating that the intervention was “very unusual” and criticized the act as “not an acceptable diplomatic practice to give public advice on third country relations,” according to the Hindu newspaper.

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion in 2022, India has maintained a neutral stance, frequently abstaining from voting on United Nations resolutions concerning the conflict. Contrary to expectations, relations between Moscow and New Delhi have strengthened. Prior to the war, India imported only 1% of its crude oil from Russia. However, in the wake of Western sanctions that forced Russia to sell its oil at discounted prices, India significantly increased its imports, with Russia accounting for approximately 35% of India’s oil imports in 2024.

This shift in imports came into focus last August when former President Donald Trump imposed a 25% tariff on Indian goods, citing India’s oil purchases as contributing to the prolongation of the war. Recently, India has scaled back its imports from Russia following the implementation of US sanctions on Russian oil companies such as Rosneft and Lukoil.

India’s Historical Neutrality and Current Position

When India gained independence during the early years of the Cold War, it opted not to align with either the Soviet Union or the United States, joining other post-colonial nations to establish the Non-Aligned Movement in 1955. As the US increased military and financial support to Pakistan in the 1970s, Russia became India’s primary arms supplier—a role it continues to fulfill despite India’s growing purchases from Western countries.

The end of the Cold War introduced a warming of relations between India and the United States, marked by the formation of the Quad, which includes India, Japan, and Australia to counter China’s rising influence in Asia. Nevertheless, Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s multi-alignment strategy has led India to deepen its ties with non-Western groups, including BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

Despite the complexities of New Delhi’s relationship with Beijing, including unresolved border disputes and a growing economic and military alliance between China and Pakistan, Russia remains a crucial counterbalance for India. The stability of the Russia-India relationship over nearly 80 years is likely to be reinforced during Putin’s visit this week.

As Putin engages with Modi, the dynamics of international relations will be closely observed, particularly in the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine and the shifting alliances among global powers. The visit underscores India’s strategic importance in the geopolitical landscape, as it navigates its relationships with both Western nations and its long-standing ties with Russia.