Putin Likely to Visit India by End of 2025, Strengthening Strategic Ties Amid Global Scrutiny

New Delhi — Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to visit India in the final week of 2025, marking his first trip to the country since the Ukraine conflict began in February 2022. According to Russian news agency TASS, this information was confirmed by India’s National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval during his recent visit to Moscow, where he held high-level discussions with Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.

Putin last visited India on December 6, 2021, for a brief four-hour trip during which 28 bilateral agreements were signed, including military and technological cooperation. At that time, both nations had set an ambitious target of increasing annual bilateral trade to $30 billion by 2025. Since then, economic cooperation has grown substantially, especially in the energy sector.

Following the onset of the Ukraine war, this upcoming visit will be seen as a critical step in reshaping the Indo-Russian economic roadmap until 2030. India and Russia have already agreed to double their bilateral trade beyond $100 billion annually. Currently, trade between the two nations hovers around $60 billion.

Modi’s Dual Visits to Russia in 2024

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Russia twice in 2024. His first trip was in July for a two-day summit, during which he extended a formal invitation to President Putin to visit India. Later, in October, Modi again visited Russia to attend the BRICS summit held on October 22. These meetings played a crucial role in advancing diplomatic ties and economic cooperation between the two long-standing allies.

Putin’s Restricted Travel After ICC Arrest Warrant

Putin’s international travel has been significantly limited since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against him in March 2023. The court accused him of war crimes, particularly the abduction and deportation of children during the Ukraine conflict. This marked the first time the ICC had issued such a warrant against a leader from a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.

Due to this, Putin has largely avoided attending international summits. Notably, he did not attend the G20 summit in India last year, where Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov represented him. He is also expected to skip the upcoming G20 summit in Brazil later this year.

India Emerges as Second Largest Buyer of Russian Oil

India has become the second-largest buyer of Russian oil after China. Before the Ukraine war, India imported only 0.2% (68,000 barrels per day) of its oil from Russia. However, by May 2023, this surged to 45% (2 million barrels per day). Between January and July 2025, India has been purchasing 1.78 million barrels daily from Russia.

Over the past two years, India has spent over $130 billion (approximately ₹11.33 lakh crore) annually on Russian oil imports, reflecting deepening energy ties amid global geopolitical tensions.

As diplomatic engagements intensify, Putin’s potential visit to India could mark a pivotal moment in the evolving geopolitical dynamics of South Asia and beyond.