Russian President Vladimir Putin met India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar at the Kremlin in Moscow on Monday, in a meeting seen as a significant boost to India-Russia relations at a time when India-US ties are under strain over tariffs. For more updates like this, follow our international news section on Jantantra TV.
A Three-Day Visit to Moscow
Jaishankar arrived in Moscow on August 23-24 for an official visit to Russia. During the trip, he co-chaired the 27th session of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC) alongside Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov. He also held detailed talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on regional and global developments — their second meeting in a month.
What Was Discussed with Putin
During the call on Putin, Jaishankar conveyed greetings from President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. According to a Kremlin statement, Putin said Jaishankar’s visit reflects the level of relations built between the two countries over decades, noting that India and Russia continue working together across nearly every area — government ties, inter-parliamentary relations, and economic cooperation.
Putin expressed satisfaction over rising bilateral trade, noting that after a slight dip last year, turnover is growing again this year — crediting PM Modi’s personal attention to developing Russia-India relations. Jaishankar, in turn, described the relationship as a “strong, robust bilateral partnership,” briefing Putin on progress in nuclear energy, fertilisers, and economic cooperation.
BRICS and SCO Summits on the Agenda
Jaishankar told Putin that PM Modi is looking forward to meeting him at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit and hopes Putin will attend the BRICS Summit in New Delhi. Putin, for his part, said he too was looking forward to meeting Modi soon. The BRICS Leaders’ Summit is scheduled to be held in New Delhi on September 12-13.
The meeting was also attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, First Deputy PM Denis Manturov, Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov, and India’s Ambassador to Russia Vinay Kumar, among other senior officials.
Trade and Economic Cooperation in Focus
At the 27th session of the IRIGC-TEC, both sides emphasised removing tariff and non-tariff barriers, easing logistics bottlenecks, improving connectivity, and smoothing payment mechanisms. They also stressed the early conclusion of the India-Eurasian Economic Union Free Trade Agreement as key to hitting the revised bilateral trade target of $100 billion by 2030. For more on trade and the economy, check out our business news section.
Both sides also reaffirmed their commitment to multilateralism, including continued coordination within the G20, BRICS, and SCO frameworks.
Why This Visit Matters Amid US Tariff Pressure
The visit comes against the backdrop of growing friction between India and the US over the Trump administration’s tariff policies. In this context, India deepening cooperation with Russia in trade, energy, and technology is being read as part of New Delhi’s broader strategy of balancing its major-power relationships. Jaishankar also appreciated Putin’s perspective on recent developments related to the Ukraine conflict.
Conclusion
Jaishankar’s Moscow visit and his meeting with Putin are seen as an important step ahead of the upcoming India-Russia Annual Summit and September’s BRICS Summit in New Delhi. Even as India navigates tariff pressure from Washington, its decades-old friendship with Russia appears to be growing stronger.
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This article is based on reports from various news agencies.
