SEOUL, November 20 (AJP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to visit India within the next few months.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that preparations are underway for Putin’s visit, mentioning that the schedule will be revealed soon.
If the visit takes place, it will mark Putin's first trip to India since December 2021, two months before the Russia-Ukraine war began. During that trip, Putin held an annual summit with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.
If President Putin visits India within this year, it will be his third meeting with Modi in 2024. Modi traveled to Moscow in July for an annual summit with Putin and met him again three months later at the BRICS summit held in Kazan, Russia. During his July visit, Modi invited Putin to hold next year's annual summit in India.
Russia and India have maintained traditionally strong ties. India, which has been a major importer of Russian weapons, has taken a different stance from Western nations following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It has imported Russian crude oil at discounted rates, providing a market for Russia amid Western sanctions.
India is also a member of the Quad, a security partnership including the United States, Japan, and Australia, aimed at countering China's influence.
Putin's plan to visit India come at a time when tensions between Russia and the U.S. have escalated. This follows U.S. President Joe Biden's decision to approve the use of long-range missiles capable of striking Russian territory by Ukraine, a move strongly opposed by Russia.
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