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New Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin is in India on a 2-day visit. He landed at the Palam Airport in New Delhi on Thursday evening and was personally received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The 2 leaders then drove to PM Modi's official residence for a private dinner. This is the first visit of the Russian leader to India, after the Russia-Ukraine war broke out in February 2022.
President Putin is in India to participate in the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit. PM Modi and President Putin will once again meet for the Summit on Friday. But before his meeting with the PM, there are other meetings and events scheduled for the Russian leader.
Putin will attend a ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhavan at 11 am on Friday. This is the first engagement of the leader for the day. After the ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, he is scheduled to visit the Rajghat, where he will lay a wreath at Mahatma Gandhi's memorial. This is scheduled for 11:30 am.
The Russian President's next stop will be at Hyderabad House in the national capital. Here, he is scheduled to meet PM Modi at 11:50am. This meeting is expected to continue for at least 2 hours, after which both leaders will issue a joint press statement. The press conference is scheduled for 1:50 pm.
Next President Putin will attend a business event at the Bharat Mandapam. His last official engagement for the day will be a meeting with President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashrapati Bhavan at 7 pm. He will depart for Russia at 9 pm.
President Putin, took up the topic of US tariffs on India, during his visit to New Delhi. He asked that if the US can buy oil from Russia, why can't India. Speaking to India Today, Putin said, "The United States itself still buys nuclear fuel from us for its own nuclear power plants. That is also fuel."
He added, "If the US has the right to buy our fuel, why shouldn't India have the same privilege? This question deserves thorough examination, and we stand ready to discuss it, including with President Trump."
Russia and India have had strong ties, going back to the Soviet Union days. Russia, in fact, has been the primary supplier of arms to India for decades now. India also buys seaborne oil from Russia, despite repeated threats by Washington to stop doing so. The US wants to put pressure on Russia, by cutting off trade, and force it to stop the war with Ukraine.
