Amid Trump's Tariff War on India For Buying Russian Oil, Doval Meets Putin, Talks of His Visit to New Delhi
New Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin is likely to visit India before the end of the year, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval said during his official visit to Moscow on Thursday (August 7).
Putin’s visit, part of the annual summit mechanism between the two countries, is currently being finalised, with dates expected to be announced soon, according to Indian and Russian officials.
Doval’s meetings in Moscow coincided with US President Donald Trump issuing an executive order that imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods as a penalty for buying Russian oil, effectively doubling the tariff rate to 50 per cent.
During his visit, Doval met Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu and also called on President Putin.
A video clip released by the Kremlin press service showed Doval shaking hands with Putin and holding talks inside the Kremlin. According to sources quoted by PTI, Doval reiterated India’s commitment to deepening cooperation with Russia across all sectors despite mounting external pressure.
Doval said both sides had agreed to move ahead with the visit of Russian President to India and that preparations were nearing completion.
This will be the 23rd edition of the India-Russia Annual Summit, which has alternated between the two countries since its inception. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi having travelled to Russia in 2024, it is now New Delhi’s turn to host the summit.
“We are very excited to learn about the visit of President Putin to India... I think the dates are almost finalised. Summit-level meetings have always been watershed points for the relationship,” Doval said during his meeting with Shoigu.
While Russian media had earlier speculated that Putin might visit India in mid-August, Indian official sources have firmly denied that timeline.
“NSA, during his visit to Moscow, has said that the dates of President Putin’s visit to India are being worked out. No specific date or time has been indicated by NSA in his engagements. The time of end-August being reported is incorrect,” said sources.
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