Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is embarking on a two-day visit to Russia, marking his first trip to Moscow since the onset of the war in Ukraine, as reported by BTA. Modi's itinerary includes a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, whom he last met for bilateral talks in 2019 in Vladivostok. The two leaders also convened in September 2022 in Uzbekistan during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit.
Delhi has refrained from condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine, instead emphasizing the necessity of finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict. "Russia's relationship with China is causing some concern in India in the context of China's increasing assertiveness in the region," commented D. Bala Venkatesh Varma, a former Indian ambassador to Russia.