Moscow (Russia): Russian President Vladimir Putin has extended New Year and Christmas greetings to Indian President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with a select group of global leaders, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.
In a statement issued from Moscow, the Kremlin said the greetings were conveyed on the occasion of Christmas and the upcoming New Year 2026. Putin also sent similar wishes to United States President Donald Trump, Chinese leaders and heads of state from countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
However, the Russian President did not extend greetings to most major European leaders, many of whose governments are currently aligned against Moscow over the ongoing Ukraine conflict, which Russia has described as a proxy war. The Kremlin made exceptions for a few European nations that continue to maintain relatively cordial relations with Russia.
Among European leaders, Putin sent greetings to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. Hungary and Slovakia are members of both NATO and the European Union but have maintained a more cooperative stance towards Moscow compared to other European countries.
December 30 marks the final working day in Russia before the country enters an extended holiday period for New Year and Orthodox Christmas. Orthodox Christmas is observed on January 7, with official holidays continuing until January 12.
