The rhetoric and optics of the Russian president Vladimir Putin's visit to India last week allude to the strength of the bilateral relationship: Narendra Modi greeted Putin at the airport with a hug, and the leaders shared a car journey (echoing the limo diplomacy when Putin and Donald Trump met in Alaska earlier this year). In his remarks, Modi referred to Putin as my friend and the India-Russia relationship as a guiding star, built on mutual respect and deep trust that had stood the test of time.