Putin to visit India in December as New Delhi faces US tariff pressure on Russian oil

Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to India in December, a Kremlin official confirmed, as Moscow and New Delhi deepen their partnership while Washington turns up economic pressure on India over its energy ties with Russia.

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters, including AFP, that Putin will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in China on Monday. The discussions will also cover preparations for the Russian leader’s December visit, he said.

The announcement comes as US President Donald Trump imposed steep tariffs on Indian exports, citing New Delhi’s continued imports of Russian oil. The move is said to be part of Washington’s wider push to cut off Moscow’s revenue streams and weaken its ability to finance the war in Ukraine.

More from World

After talks with Xi and Modi, Putin says Nato expansion must be addressed for sustainable peace in Ukraine Ahead of SCO summit, Putin's big Brics push and a call: Reform IMF, World Bank

Russia, one of India’s long-standing defence partners, has maintained oil and gas sales as a critical source of income despite Western sanctions. Since the conflict erupted in February 2022, Moscow has shifted much of its crude shipments from Europe to Asian markets, particularly India and China, securing billions of dollars in revenue.

New Delhi has defended its energy purchases, arguing that it turned to Russian crude only after European buyers redirected supplies that India had traditionally sourced.

Energy incomes are a key source of revenue for Moscow’s state budget. Russia is also one of India’s top arms suppliers, and the warm ties between the two countries date back to the Soviet era.

Quick Reads

View All

Will Brazil go back to Bolsonaro? Lula finds new challenger in jailed ex-president's son Flavio

‘Not competing for influence on Greenland’: China warns Europe over ‘diktats of a bully’

Ukraine’s Western allies have sought to cut Russia’s export earnings since Moscow launched its military assault in February 2022.

But Russia has been able to redirect energy sales away from Europe to countries including India and China, ensuring the multi-billion-dollar flow of funds has continued.

India has argued it imported oil “from Russia because traditional supplies were diverted to Europe after the outbreak of the conflict”.

Putin has significantly curtailed his foreign travel amid the offensive on Ukraine, for which he was slapped with an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant.

India is not a party to the ICC and therefore not obligated to detain Putin.

With inputs from agencies