India’s Modi set to reaffirm Russia ties in Moscow even as US eyes sanction compliance

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s coming visit to Moscow is seen as an attempt by New Delhi to reaffirm its strong strategic partnership with Russia and signal its role as a key power balancer amid global geopolitical tensions.

Analysts say Modi’s two-day trip, which starts on Monday, would reaffirm the two countries’ historically close ties. It would also reflect India’s aim to balance its relationships with Russia, China and Western nations, particularly as the US scrutinises international compliance with sanctions against Moscow following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Foreign policy expert Harsh V. Pant told This Week in Asia that Modi’s visit was an attempt to reassure Russia that India would continue to prioritise their relationship.

“Apart from the economic concerns between the two countries, India will also raise the issue of Indians fighting in the Ukraine war. So I think the optics of this [bilateral talk] are important,” Pant said.

Modi’s trip to Moscow, his first since 2015, marks a return to the India-Russia summits that were held annually until 2021. The prime minister last met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in 2022.

Pant, vice president for studies and foreign policy at the Observer Research Foundation, a Delhi-based think tank, said India wanted to have an open communication channel with Russia at a time when Moscow’s relations with Beijing were deepening.

Isolated from the West, Russia has become increasingly reliant on India and China to buy its oil as its economy continues to sputter over the war in Ukraine.

“There will also be an attempt to understand where Russia is going with China and what the future possibilities of India-Russia defence