Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin travel in a car from Palam Airport in New Delhi on Thursday (December 4). Photo: X/@narendramodi
Delighted to welcome my friend Putin, says Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi received Russian President Vladimir Putin at New Delhi's Palam airport, hugging him and accorded him a warm welcome to India after a four-year gap
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday night (December 4) kick-started a nearly 27-hour visit to India to further shore up a nearly eight-decade bilateral partnership that remained on firm footing notwithstanding a fractious geopolitical environment and tensions.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi received Putin at New Delhi's Palam airport, hugging him and accorded him a warm welcome to India after a four-year gap. The two leaders left the airport in the same car, nearly three months after travelling together in a vehicle in the Chinese city of Tianjin after the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
Private dinner planned
Modi is hosting a private dinner for Putin this evening, in a reciprocal gesture to the hospitality extended to the Indian prime minister by the Russian leader during his visit to Moscow in July last year.
During his two-day stay, Putin will meet President Droupadi Murmu and later attend a private dinner organised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. According to presidential aide Yury Ushakov, the two leaders will review a range of “promising projects” across industrial collaboration, innovative technologies, transportation links, peaceful space initiatives, mining, healthcare and labour mobility.
Ushakov noted that the political relationship between New Delhi and Moscow continues to be “regular and confidential,” underscoring the depth of the strategic dialogue.
The visit comes at a crucial juncture, as it comes at a time when US President Donald Trump has imposed 50 per cent tariffs on several categories of Indian goods, a development that has strained India-US bilateral ties.
In the run-up to the summit, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that discussions may include Russia potentially supplying Su-57 fifth-generation fighter jets, as India proceeds with its own advanced aircraft procurement plans.
Putin is also expected to attend the Russia-India Business Forum and participate in the launch of RT’s television channel in India, signalling the expanding scope of bilateral cooperation.
Energy trade will remain a core point of negotiation. Citing Bloomberg, reports indicate that India aims to balance affordable Russian crude imports with concerns over possible US sanctions or tariff measures.
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Follow more LIVE updates below
Live Updates
- 4 Dec 2025 9:45 AM IST
India to push Russia on timely defence deliveries in key meeting
India’s defence engagement with Russia is expected to take centre stage when Defence Minister Rajnath Singh meets his Russian counterpart Andrey Belousov on Thursday.
Key items on the agenda include India’s pending procurement of S-400 air defence systems, upgrades for its Sukhoi-30 fleet, and other major military platforms.
Senior officials say the discussions aim to reinforce the longstanding defence partnership and ensure timely delivery of equipment amid global supply pressures.
Belousov is part of President Vladimir Putin’s delegation to India, and the talks come a day before Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi convene for their bilateral summit.
- 4 Dec 2025 9:32 AM IST
Poland hopes Modi will nudge Putin toward Ukraine peace deal
Poland’s Secretary of State Władysław Teofil Bartoszewski has urged India to play a more active role in pushing for an end to the Ukraine conflict, saying New Delhi holds unique diplomatic influence over Moscow.
In an interview with the Indian Express, Bartoszewski said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is among the few leaders whose counsel Russian President Vladimir Putin “pays attention to”.
He expressed hope that Modi would encourage Putin to move toward a peace agreement, arguing the prolonged war benefits no country and poses growing risks for Europe, particularly for states that feel directly threatened by the conflict.
- 4 Dec 2025 9:30 AM IST
Putin’s India schedule: Summit, business forum and State banquet
Russian President Vladimir Putin will arrive in New Delhi on Thursday evening and attend a private dinner with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On Friday, he will receive a ceremonial welcome, visit Rajghat, and lead the India–Russia Annual Summit at Hyderabad House, where PM Modi will host a working lunch for the delegation, reported the Financial Express.
Putin will later launch the new India channel of Russia’s state-run broadcaster and take part in the Russia–India Business Forum. The visit concludes with a state banquet hosted by President Droupadi Murmu before his departure around 9:30 pm on Friday.
- 4 Dec 2025 9:23 AM IST
Europe urges India to press Putin for an end to Ukraine conflict
As New Delhi prepares for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s arrival, diplomats from multiple European nations have reportedly approached the Indian government, urging it to use its influence to help end the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
According to the Indian Express, officials from several European states- including those in eastern Europe who view the war as a direct threat to their security-have conveyed this appeal subtly in recent days.
They believe India’s working relationship with Moscow, coupled with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s earlier remarks that wars cannot be resolved through violence alone, positions Delhi to nudge Putin toward de-escalation.
- 4 Dec 2025 9:14 AM IST
Delhi decks up ahead of Putin's visit for India–Russia summit
Flex boards and Russian flags lined Teen Murti Marg on Thursday as preparations intensified for President Vladimir Putin’s upcoming visit. Invited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Russian leader will be in India from December 4–5 for the 23rd India–Russia Annual Summit.
Putin and Modi are expected to hold wide-ranging talks on bilateral ties and strategic cooperation. President Droupadi Murmu will formally receive the visiting head of state and host a banquet in his honour, marking a key moment in New Delhi–Moscow diplomatic engagement.
