Putin and Modi Set for Pivotal December Summit: Reinforcing Indo-Russian Ties Amid Geopolitical Shifts

New Delhi– Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to travel to India around December 5 for his annual summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a meeting poised to yield key advancements in the nations’ strategic partnership, according to sources briefed on the discussions as of October 1, 2025.

Details of the itinerary are still being refined, leaving open the question of whether the visit will last a single day or extend to two.

In preparation, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is due in India next month to hammer out the logistics of the presidential itinerary.

Putin’s most recent stop in New Delhi was in 2021.

The agenda will also feature a session of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and Military-Technical Cooperation ahead of the main event, the sources added.

At the core of the summit, the two leaders will review and expand the “Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership,” with potential emphasis on bolstering ties in defense, security, trade, and energy.

This yearly tradition has produced 22 summits to date, rotating between host countries. The prior gathering unfolded in Moscow last July, when Modi met Putin.

For decades, Russia has anchored India’s foreign policy framework as a reliable ally.

India could pursue extra S-400 air defense missile systems from Russia, building on their critical contributions during Operation Sindoor.

The arrangement dates to October 2018, when India committed $5 billion for five S-400 regiments, brushing aside threats of sanctions from the Trump administration.

Russia has delivered three of the units, with the balance projected for 2026—delays attributed to its war in Ukraine.