New Delhi [India], December 1 (ANI): As Russian President Vladimir Putin prepares to visit India on December 4-5, global attention is focused on the outcomes of his trip. German Ambassador to India Philipp Ackermann described the visit as an opportunity for India to send a message of peace to the Russian President.
“We will follow that visit closely. It is clear that India has different relations with Russia than the European partners have… We should not forget that Russia is leading a war, a war that Russia has started. The Indian Prime Minister said on the record—this is not an era of war, this war will not be won on the battlefield. I trust that he will also mention that when he is here,” Ackermann said.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump expressed optimism that a peace deal to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict would be reached soon. On Sunday, a senior Ukrainian delegation held talks with US officials in Florida. “They [talks between US and Ukrainian officials] are going along well. We want to stop people from being killed. This doesn’t have much to do with us, but I’d like to see we can save a lot of souls. Last month, we had 27,000 people killed in the ridiculous war that never should have happened,” Trump said aboard Air Force One.
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Putin’s visit offers a chance to review the full spectrum of the Russia-India strategic partnership, encompassing politics, trade, economy, science, technology, culture, and humanitarian cooperation.
“On December 4-5, President Vladimir Putin will pay a state visit to India at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This visit carries significant importance, offering an opportunity to review the entire spectrum of the Russia-India special and privileged strategic partnership—from politics, trade, and the economy to science, technology, and cultural and humanitarian cooperation,” the MFA said.
During the visit, Putin will attend the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit and hold talks with PM Modi. The President of India will also host a banquet in his honor. The meetings aim to review progress in bilateral relations, strengthen the ‘Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership,’ and discuss regional and global issues of mutual interest.
This will be Putin’s first visit to India since 2021. The two leaders last met on September 1 this year in Tianjin, China, during the SCO Summit. The Kremlin described the visit as an important moment for both nations. Russian state news agency TASS cited a Kremlin statement, emphasizing that the discussions will cover political, trade, economic, scientific, technological, cultural, and humanitarian spheres, alongside topical international and regional issues.
Preparations for the annual summit are already underway, with the MEA noting that Putin’s arrival aligns with the state visit protocol.
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