Modi to visit Moscow next week as Kremlin says ‘all issues on the agenda’

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Moscow next week for the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine, a sign of the growing relationship between the two countries even as New Delhi maintains strong ties with the United States.. . Modi will be in Moscow on July 8 and 9 at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin, Indias Ministry of External Affairs announced, adding they would exchange views on contemporary regional and global issues of mutual interest.. . Modis plans for the trip were first reported last month by Russian state media, citing Kremlin officials.. . India remains heavily reliant on the Kremlin for its military equipment a vital link given Indias ongoing tensions at its shared Himalayan border with China and has ramped up purchases of discounted Russian crude oil, giving Putins nation a major financial lifeline as it faces isolation from the West.. . Modis visit is widely seen as the latest dent in efforts by Western leaders to cast Putin aside.. . Indias ties with Russia date back decades to the Cold War and have remained strong despite repeated sanctions on Moscow from Western governments.. . New Delhi has repeatedly abstained from votes condemning Russia at the United Nations Security Council and has avoided public criticism of Moscows war in Ukraine.. . . Confirmation of Modis visit comes as Russia draws ever closer to China, potentially making New Delhi uncomfortable due to its longstanding Himalayan border dispute with Beijing that has simmered in recent years.. ..

On Wednesday, Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Putin hailed their two countries deepening alignment at a regional security summit in Kazakhstan, with the Russian leader claiming relations between the two were going through the best period in their history and should be considered a stabilizing force for the world.. . Modi, however, was notably absent from the annual leaders meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a bloc of Eurasian countries spearheaded by China and Russia that is seen as a counterweight to Western institutions led by the US and its allies.. ..

Some analysts viewed Modis decision to skip the event as a sign the leader of the worlds largest democracy does not view the bloc as an effective channel through which New Delhi can pursue its interests.. . Modi last met Putin on the sidelines of the 2022 SCO summit, where he told the Russian leader that todays era is not of war.. ..

Last month Putin also met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang, where the two autocrats vowed to strengthen ties and deepen their cooperation in a new partnership that was signed during the visit.. . Moscow this year has taken up the position as chair of the BRICS economic bloc, which includes Brazil, India, China and South Africa, providing Putin with an opportunity to push back against growing Western isolation and portray himself as a key player on a broad diplomatic stage.. ..

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