Putin meets Indian prime minister in Russia on his first visit since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine
Associated PressMOSCOW — India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Moscow on Monday for a two-day visit, his first since Russia sent troops into Ukraine, complicating the relationship between the longtime partners and pushing Russia closer to India’s rival, China. Modi thanked Putin on X for hosting him at Novo-Ogaryovo and said he was looking forward to Tuesday’s talks which he hoped will “go a long way in further cementing the bonds of friendship between India and Russia.” Russia has had strong ties with India since the Cold War, and New Delhi’s importance as a key trading partner has grown since the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022. “This is evident in India’s relatively low-key presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization last year, and now the decision by Modi not to attend this year’s summit,” Bajpaee said. “Defense cooperation will clearly be a priority area,” Bajpaee said, adding that 60% of India’s military equipment and systems is “still of Russian origin.” “We’ve seen some delay in the deliveries of spare parts.