The Russian president’s Delhi visit gives him a chance to reduce Moscow’s isolation but both countries need each other to negotiate Trump’s America and a powerful China
When Vladimir Putin last set foot in India almost exactly four years ago, the world order looked materially different. That visit – lasting just five hours due to the covid pandemic – saw Putin and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi discuss economic and military cooperation and reaffirm their special relationship.
Three months later, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine would turn him into a global pariah, isolating Russia from the world and restricting Putin’s international travel.
The last visit was also several years before Donald Trump was re-elected and upended years of closely nurtured US-India relations with inflammatory rhetoric and some of the world’s most punishing import tariffs, throwing Delhi into a tailspin.
Against this turbulent geopolitical backdrop, analysts emphasised the significance of Putin travelling to India on Thursday to meet Modi, both as a symbol of the enduring relationship between the countries and as a message that neither would be cowed by US pressure.
