What happened?
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on August 21st, 2025, where the two leaders discussed ways to further strengthen the India-Russia strategic partnership. The meeting came just hours after Jaishankar held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, focusing on expanding bilateral trade and addressing key economic challenges. During their discussions, Jaishankar emphasised the need to enhance Indian exports to Russia in areas such as pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and textiles to balance trade flows.
Why it matters to India
The visit underlines the resilience of India-Russia ties, which Jaishankar described as among the “steadiest” major relationships since the Second World War. Both sides reaffirmed their ambition to take bilateral trade to $100 billion by 2030 while tackling non-tariff barriers and regulatory hurdles. The meeting comes amid rising strains in India-US relations, particularly after Washington imposed 50 per cent tariffs on Indian imports, including penalties linked to Russian oil purchases. With Prime Minister Modi and President Putin scheduled to meet again at the upcoming SCO Summit in Tianjin, the engagement signals India’s intent to safeguard strategic autonomy and deepen cooperation with Russia across defence, energy, and trade.