'PUTIN'S INDIA VISIT WAS ABOUT CONTINUITY, NOT RESETTING OF TIES'

Officials said that some of the more sensitive conversations during the visit centred on defence cooperation.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA

Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to India served as a steady reaffirmation of India-Russia ties, not a historic turning point, according to diplomats.

Discussions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Russian President included sensitive defence-related conversations, which officials familiar with the meetings said were deliberately kept outside of the public documents released after the visit.

Officials said that the visit should not be interpreted as a major reset. They said the outcomes were broadly in line with the established trajectory of India-Russia ties and did not signal any dramatic shift in policy.

Sources said the engagement between the two leaders took place in a visibly warm atmosphere. According to officials, the body language and ease of interaction suggested a comfort level that has grown over time. They added that no unreasonable demands were made by the Russian side and none were expected, reflecting a mature and predictable relationship.

The degree of political signalling was immediately visible. Officials pointed out that the airport reception gesture shown by Prime Minister Modi remains rare. It was only the fourth time in the last five years that the Prime Minister personally went to receive a visiting foreign leader. The earlier occasions were Donald Trump's arrival in Ahmedabad in February 2020, UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan's visit in January 2024, and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani's arrival in February 2025. Diplomats said the limited number of such instances underscores the degree of political signalling attached to the airport welcome for Putin.