Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi for his first state visit to India since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, showcasing warming ties that have angered the U.S. and led to hefty trade tariffs.
Putin was welcomed at the airport by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who embraced the Russian leader after he disembarked from his plane Thursday evening in New Delhi. The two leaders watched a group of traditional dancers on the tarmac before driving together to a private dinner hosted at Modi’s residence.
India is rolling out the red carpet for the Russian president, who has defied attempts by many leading Western democracies to cast him as an international pariah. The stakes are high for Modi, who is seeking to assert India’s strategic autonomy after U.S. President Donald Trump slapped tariffs of 50% on the nation’s goods to punish New Delhi for its close ties with Russia.
