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Key events
The two leaders are meeting against a turbulent geopolitical backdrop, and analysts have emphasised the significance of the Russian president travelling to India, both as a symbol of the enduring relationship between the countries and as a message that neither would be cowed by US pressure amid the Ukraine war. Hannah Ellis-Petersen and Pjotr Sauer have assessed what is at stake for both countries here.
Vladimir Putin was given a cordial greeting on Thursday night at Palam air base in New Delhi. Here are some images from the welcoming ceremony.
Opening summary – Putin and Modi meet amid US trade pressure
Hello and welcome to our coverage of Russian president Vladimir Putin’s trip to Delhi for a summit with prime minister Narendra Modi.
It comes as the US is pushing for a peace deal in Ukraine that is seen as favouring Moscow but also as Washington seeks to increase pressure on India to cut back trade with Russia.
It is the first time Putin has visited India since his fullscale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and marks another step for him on the international stage since a war that has turned Russia into a global pariah and led to restrictions on where he could go without being arrested.
The two are meeting for talks on Friday following a warm welcome on the tarmac on Thursday. Modi greeted Putin at the airport with a hug on a red carpet, before the two rode together in the same car to a private dinner – mirroring a lift that Putin gave Modi when they last met, in China in September.
On the agenda for today are defence deals – in particular sales of Russian S-400 air defence systems and the Sukhoi Su-57 fighter aircraft – as well as energy purchases and wider economic engagement.
The visit follows very public pressure from Donald Trump on India to halt its Russian oil purchases, which culminated in a punishing additional 25% punitive US tariff on Indian imports.
We will bring you the latest as soon as we have it.
