"MUMBAI, India There was a hug and selfie in a limousine ride after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally picked up Russian President Vladimir Putin on arrival in the capital New Delhi on Thursday evening. Devotional lamps spelled out "Welcome Putin" during an evening prayer at the Ganges River that was shared online. There was an honor guard and a brass band. India was warmly welcoming Putin for his first visit since his country invaded Ukraine nearly four years ago."
"The visit in part signaled India's defiance to the Trump administration, which has punished, and publicly humiliated, New Delhi for its purchases of Russian oil. "The message first and foremost is that India has options," said Chietigj Bajpaee, senior research fellow for South Asia at Chatham House. "It is an effort to reaffirm the India-Russia relationship at a time when India has been under growing pressure to sever that relationship, or at least downgrade it in some ways.""
"India has long prided itself on its independent foreign policy, but grew close to Russia decades ago, when it was the dominant part of the Soviet Union. The policy came in response to a sense of being cornered on its northern borders: Pakistan firmly allied itself with the U.S., and in the early 1970s, facilitated an opening in relations between Washington and Beijing. India and China share more than 2,000 miles of disputed border across the Himalayas."
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally greeted Russian President Vladimir Putin in New Delhi with ceremonial fanfare, devotional lamps, and a limousine selfie. India welcomed Putin for his first visit since Russia invaded Ukraine nearly four years earlier. The visit served as a demonstration of India's independent foreign policy and a signal that New Delhi retains strategic options despite Western pressure and sanctions tied to Russian oil purchases. The relationship traces to Cold War-era alignment and regional security concerns, including tensions with China. The two-day meeting included an agreement to expand opportunities for Indian nationals to work in Russia, and drew global attention amid travel restrictions on Putin after an ICC arrest warrant.
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