New Delhi: The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, is on a two-day visit to India for bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He met the PM at Hyderabad House in Delhi. Putin will ink a US$ 5 billion deal to procure Moscow’s most advanced air defence system, the S-400 Trumf, risking US sanctions.
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Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Trade and Industry Minister Denis Manturov are also accompanying the Russian President.
The S-400, on which the bilateral talks will be focussed, is one of the world’s most advanced long-range air defence systems. In 2014, China became the first nation to buy the S-400 missile systems and Russia is in the process of delivering the missiles to Beijing. Under Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanction Act or CAATSA, the US imposes sanctions on any country that has significant transactions with Iran, North Korea or Russia.
Putin and Modi will also discuss important global as well as regional issues including US sanctions on the import of Iranian crude oil. It was also quoted by Russian media that the two countries are planning to sign over 20 documents.
Putin is also scheduled to meet President Ram Nath Kovind today.
India is planning to acquire 4 Krivak-class frigates from Russia, two of which will be built in India. Two ships will be built at the Goa shipyard and two others will be acquired from Russia under the US$ 2.5 billion deal.
This is Modi and Putin’s third meeting this year after the informal meeting in the Russian resort city of Sochi in May and bilateral talks on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in South Africa.