New Delhi: President Vladimir Putin will visit India soon following an invitation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Moscow last year.
“President Vladimir Putin has accepted an invitation to visit from the Indian head of government,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed.
Preparations are underway for Putin’s visit to India, though Lavrov didn’t provide specific dates.
Significantly, this will be the Putin’s first visit to India since Russia launched a full-fledged military attack on Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
Lavrov pointed out that the Indian PM had chosen Russia for his first foreign visit after being re-elected for a third term.
“Now it’s our turn,” the Russian Foreign Minister said.
Modi and Putin, who have developed close ties over the years, are expected to discuss the Ukraine war and other significant issues like the geopolitical upheaval after Donald Trump took charge as US President for his second term two months ago.
On the Ukraine war, which has dragged on for more than three years and resulted in thousands of deaths, India has maintained a neutral stance, saying repeatedly that a solution has to be found through dialogue.
Though India has abstained from resolutions passed by the United Nations condemning Russia and also refrained from criticising Putin publicly, Modi has told the Russian President during their one-on-one meetings and phone calls that this was not the era of war.
The bonhomie between Modi and Putin grabbed attention during the former’s visit to Moscow last year for the 22nd Russia-India summit. The two leaders had shared a warm hug as Modi arrived at Putin’s residence. Videos of Modi and Putin chatting over tea, watching a horse show, and the Russian President driving the Prime Minister around his residence in a golf cart went viral on social media.
