Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi on Thursday evening (December 4, 2025), receiving a warm and special welcome from Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Air Force Station Palam. The visit comes ahead of the India–Russia annual summit scheduled for Friday (December 6), marking Putin’s first state visit to India since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. His arrival has drawn global attention, particularly as renewed peace discussions involving U.S. President Donald Trump continue to unfold.
Putin’s official engagements began with a private dinner hosted by Prime Minister Modi at his residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg. On Friday morning, the Russian President will receive a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan at 11 a.m., followed by a solemn visit to Rajghat, where he will lay a wreath at Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial.
The 23rd India–Russia Annual Summit is slated to begin at 11:50 a.m. at Hyderabad House, where both leaders will hold comprehensive talks and later address the media. Putin’s previous visit to India was on December 6, 2021, although he had not addressed the press during that short trip.
Later in the afternoon, Putin will participate in a business event at Bharat Mandapam. His final engagement for the day will be a state banquet hosted in his honour by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
This high-profile visit is expected to strengthen diplomatic, strategic, and economic cooperation between the two long-standing partners, particularly at a time of shifting global geopolitical dynamics.
