Putin in India: From wreath laying at Rajghat to meeting with PM Modi – What's on Russian President's agenda for Friday?

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived at Palam Airport, Delhi on Thursday evening, where he was received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Putin is on a two-day visit to India, which marks his first official visit to the country since the war began in Ukraine in February 2022.

Putin is in India for the 23rd Annual India-Russia Summit. Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to hold a meeting with Putin at Hyderabad House on Friday, 5 December.

Vladimir Putin India visit itinerary

Here's a glimpse at the Russian president's itinerary for tomorrow:

Vladimir Putin's visit to the nation comes at a time when India has been under sustained pressure from the US to scale back its purchases of Russian crude.

India-Russia energy ties

Trump, recently, has also claimed that India has cut down its oil purchases from Russia following tariffs imposed by the US. Washington imposed a 50% tariff on all Indian goods, including 25% levies for New Delhi's procurement of Russian crude oil.

On Thursday, Putin, referring to Western sanctions against Moscow – in an interview with India Today – said his country's energy cooperation with New Delhi largely "remains unaffected".

"As for India's purchase of energy resources from Russia, I would like to note and have already mentioned publicly this once, the United States itself still buys nuclear fuel from us for its own nuclear power plants," Putin said in the interview.

He further praised Modi, stating that"Prime Minister Modi is not someone who succumbs to pressure easily."

India's Russian oil purchases have been in focus as the US imposed sanctions in October on Rosneft and Lukoil, two of Russia's largest oil producers, with the aim of cutting Kremlin's resources to fund the Ukraine war. India continued to be the second-largest buyer of Russian fossil fuels in October, after China – as per a report by an European think tank – which cited the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).

The last time Putin visited India was on December 6, 2021. He visited New Delhi to attend the 21st India-Russia Annual Summit.