India’s Narendra Modi to visit Russia on Monday, in his first visit since Ukraine war

Modi and Putin will discuss ‘prospects for further development of traditionally friendly Russian-Indian relations’

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Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan in 2022. Photo: AP

Published: 7:38pm, 4 Jul 2024

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Russia on July 8 and 9, the Kremlin said on Thursday, in his first trip to the country since Moscow launched its military offensive in Ukraine.

That campaign has tested relations between Moscow and New Delhi, even though India has ramped up its purchases of Russian oil and not joined Western sanctions.

Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin will discuss “prospects for further development of traditionally friendly Russian-Indian relations, as well as relevant issues on the international and regional agenda”, the Kremlin said in a statement.

Putin sees Modi as a key potential diplomatic and economy ally, with Russia isolated in the West.

But Ukraine has complicated ties.

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In a September 2022 meeting between Putin and Modi at a regional summit in Uzbekistan, the Russian president told Modi he understood he had “concerns” about the conflict and that Modi wanted it to end “as soon as possible”.