India-Russia Summit: Modi-Putin Uphold 'Trust' Behind Friendship

Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted Russian President Vladimir Putin with a ceremonial embrace during his two-day visit to New Delhi on December 4-5, 2025, praising Putin as a "visionary leader" and highlighting the strong trust that underlies the alliance between India and Russia. Modi emphasized India's strong position on peace in Ukraine during bilateral discussions at Hyderabad House. He said that New Delhi "is not neutral" and frequently shares opinions with Moscow on the crisis, calling for dialogue as the only way ahead in the face of continuous US-mediated efforts. In response, Putin stated that Russia hopes to strengthen relations and highlighted new areas of cooperation in space, aviation, technology, and artificial intelligence. He also defended recent battlefield advancements in the Donbas as non-negotiable for any settlement.