Putin reaches Delhi for BRICS Summit, bilateral talks with Modi scheduled
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New Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi on Friday to participate in the 18th BRICS Summit and is set to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bilateral discussions later in the day.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed Putin’s arrival in a post on X, saying the Russian President was received at the airport by Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh.
“Warmly welcome President Vladimir Putin of Russia for the 18th BRICS Summit,” Jaiswal said, describing India-Russia relations as a longstanding and multifaceted partnership based on a “Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership”.
Putin’s visit is part of sustained high-level engagement between New Delhi and Moscow. It follows a meeting between the Russian leader and Modi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek last week.
During that interaction, Modi called for an end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, urging the two sides to move from an “endless war” towards the “end of war”. He said ending the conflict at the earliest was the wish of humanity.
The Modi-Putin talks in Delhi are expected to focus on the state of bilateral relations and key regional and international developments. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said ahead of the visit that Putin would brief Modi on the latest developments in the Ukraine conflict.
Defence cooperation is also likely to feature prominently in the discussions, with the two leaders expected to review ongoing projects and consider future areas of collaboration.
India, which holds the BRICS chair in 2026, will host the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13. The meeting will bring together leaders of BRICS member and partner countries, along with outreach invitees.
According to the MEA, the summit will focus on enhancing cooperation among BRICS countries on shared priorities. The leaders are also expected to exchange views on major global and regional issues.
(Inputs from IANS)