Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, China, on Monday. The two leaders will discuss the upcoming visit of President Putin to India, scheduled for December, as well as preparations for the visit.

Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov confirmed that the meeting between Putin and Modi would focus on planning for the December visit, highlighting the growing ties between Russia and India. This meeting comes at a time when the United States has imposed tariffs on India over its continued purchase of Russian oil.

Speaking to the media, Ushakov explained that the SCO Summit will include a number of bilateral meetings for President Putin, with more than 10 meetings already scheduled. He also emphasized the importance of the visit, which will be part of ongoing efforts to strengthen ties between Russia and India amidst shifting global dynamics.

Putin’s December visit is expected to take place against the backdrop of increased energy cooperation between Russia and India, especially following the U.S. tariffs on Indian oil purchases from Russia. While Western countries have pushed to cut Russia’s energy revenues since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has turned to countries like India and China to maintain its energy sales.

The details of Putin’s visit to India are still being finalized, with no specific dates confirmed yet. However, discussions on the visit have been ongoing, with India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval meeting Russian officials earlier this month in Moscow to iron out the details. Doval confirmed that the dates were still being finalized but did not provide further details on the timing.

Earlier this year, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Putin had accepted Prime Minister Modi’s invitation to visit India. He noted that Modi’s first foreign visit after his re-election had been to Russia, marking a strong bond between the two countries. Lavrov added that now it was Russia’s turn to reciprocate with a visit from the Russian president to India.

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