President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India in December has been confirmed, nearly four years after his last trip. Yuri Ushakov, a foreign policy advisor from the Kremlin, shared the news. Putin last visited India on December 6, 2021.
Ushakov also mentioned that President Putin will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Tianjin, China, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit next week to discuss preparations for the India visit. “Immediately after the SCO plus meeting (on September 1), our President Putin will also meet with Prime Minister Modi,” Ushakov said. He also added that the discussions will include preparations for the upcoming India visit, which is particularly significant. The meeting in Tianjin will be the first face-to-face encounter between the two leaders this year, although they have been in regular contact via phone.
The announcement of Putin’s India visit comes at a time when US President Donald Trump has doubled tariffs on Indian goods, up to 50 percent, including an additional 25 percent duty on India’s purchase of crude oil from Russia.