Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin
Putin visits India: Russian President Vladimir Putin is visiting India on 4 and 5 December. From the point of view of diplomacy, these dates are not just pages of the calendar, but a big signal for global politics. This will be the 23rd bilateral summit between India and Russia. But this time the atmosphere is a little different and also very hot. This visit is taking place at a time when western countries, especially America, are continuously trying to increase the distance between India and Russia.
Despite all the pressure and sanctions imposed on oil, Putin Coming to Delhi proves that relations between New Delhi and Moscow do not run on the terms of any third country. There is discussion all over the world about this visit, and it is important for the common citizen of India to understand why this visit is so special. This is not just a handshake of leaders, but it is a matter related to your energy security, the country’s borders and future technology.
Record breaking business amid noise of sanctions
It is often said that the true identity of relationships is found in times of trouble. Recently, Western countries have imposed strict economic sanctions on Russia. America tried its best to stop India from buying oil from Russia. Even additional duties and pressure were imposed on Indian companies. But the result was opposite.
Instead of decreasing, the trade between India and Russia has increased 5 times. The bilateral trade which was only 13 billion US dollars in the year 2021, has jumped to 68 billion dollars in 2024-25. This figure shows that India gave priority to its energy needs. When the prices of petrol and diesel were skyrocketing all over the world, Russian oil provided stability to the Indian economy. Although the recent US crackdown has had some impact on oil imports, both countries are now taking concrete steps towards reducing their dependence on the dollar by trading in rupees and rubles.
When America and China surrounded, Russia stood as a ‘shield’
friendship between india and russia To understand this it is necessary to turn the pages of history. That incident of 1971 war had made the foundation of this friendship as strong as a stone. At that time there was a war between India and Pakistan. America and China had come forward openly to help Pakistan. To scare India, America had sent the 7th Fleet of its Navy towards the Bay of Bengal.
At that critical juncture, Russia (then the Soviet Union) showed its true friendship. Without any delay, Russia sent its nuclear submarines and navy to protect India and stopped the American fleet from advancing. Not only this, whenever resolutions came against India in the United Nations, Russia used veto power thrice so that the ceasefire was on India’s terms and we got a decisive victory. It was clearly written in the defense agreement signed during that time that if any third country attacks India, then Russia will consider it as an attack on itself. This is the belief that continues even today.
From sky to ground… Russian ‘armour’ in Indian security
Even today, when we talk about the strength of the Indian Army, Russian technology has the largest share in it. This share is around 55 to 60 percent. Be it the Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter plane that eliminates the enemy’s sixes in the air, or the world’s best air defense system S-400, Russia has always given India the best weapons.
The most important thing is that Russia not only sells weapons, but also manufactures them in collaboration with India. The most perfect example of this is the BrahMos missile, which is counted among the fastest cruise missiles in the world today. It is expected that Putin’s visit will further strengthen ‘Make in India’ in the defense sector and a new consensus will be reached on technology transfer. This will directly help in securing our borders and modernizing the army.
Partnership in space flight also
Relationships are not limited to land only, their reach extends to space. It was Russia that sent Rakesh Sharma to space in 1984 as part of its mission, which made India proud. Even today, Russia is an important partner in India’s Gaganyaan mission and space technology. Even in the field of nuclear energy, the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant of Tamil Nadu is the result of Russian cooperation, which is lighting thousands of homes in the country.
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