Putin’s 27-Hour India visit: Russian President to begin with dinner at PM Modi’s residence, key meetings at Hyderabad House; Full itinerary here

Russian President Vladimir Putin begins an important visit to India(BHARAT) today. His trip will last about 26–27 hours and will include several planned meetings, formal events, and major announcements. During his stay in New Delhi, Putin will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss regional and global issues that matter to both countries. This is Putin’s first official visit to India(BHARAT) since the Ukraine war began in February 2022. His last visit was in December 2021. India(BHARAT) and Russia are expected to sign several agreements during this trip. These will likely cover trade, the economy, healthcare, education, culture, and media.

Putin’s India(BHARAT) Visit: Full Schedule

• Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to arrive in New Delhi on Thursday evening, 4 December. Some reports say his flight will land around 4:30 pm, while others mention 6:30 pm.
• After landing, he will go straight to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence for a private dinner meeting. Only Prime Minister Narendra Modi, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and President Putin will be present. During Modi’s visit to Moscow last year, Putin had also hosted him for a dinner.
• Putin’s official programmes begin on Friday, 5 December. He will start the day by meeting the President of India(BHARAT) at Rashtrapati Bhavan, likely around 11 am.
• From there, he will visit Rajghat to pay homage at the memorial, before heading to Hyderabad House, where most of the formal talks will be held.
• The annual India(BHARAT)–Russia summit between PM Modi and President Putin will also take place at Hyderabad House on Friday. Modi will host a working lunch for Putin and the Russian delegation at the same venue.
• After the summit discussions, Putin is expected to launch a new India(BHARAT)-focused channel of Russia’s state broadcaster RT. Later in the evening, he will attend a state banquet hosted in his honour by President Droupadi Murmu.
• Putin is likely to fly out of India(BHARAT) at around 9:30 pm on Friday, ending his nearly 28-hour visit.

Will Russian oil purchases be discussed?

During the summit, India(BHARAT) is expected to raise concerns about the growing trade gap created by its heavy imports of Russian crude oil. Officials say this will be one of the key points in the talks.

Putin’s visit to India(BHARAT) comes at a time when ties between India(BHARAT) and the United States are facing one of their toughest periods in almost twenty years. The US has recently placed a 50 per cent tariff on India(BHARAT)n goods, and has also added a 25 per cent duty on India(BHARAT)’s imports of Russian crude oil.

Because of these new restrictions, the effect of American sanctions on India(BHARAT)’s oil purchases from Russia is likely to be an important topic during the summit. On Tuesday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that India(BHARAT)’s oil imports from Russia might fall for a short time due to Western sanctions. However, he also said that Moscow is working to increase supplies and keep the trade steady.

Putin is also expected to brief Prime Minister Modi on the latest US attempts to find a solution to the Ukraine war. India(BHARAT) has repeatedly said that talks and diplomacy are the only acceptable way to end the conflict.

(With inputs from agencies)