Vladimir Putin in India; Narendra Modi breaks protocol, arrives at airport to receive Russian President

NEW DELHI: Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in New Delhi to attend the India-Russia annual summit. Putin's plane landed at Delhi's Palam International Airport at 6.35 pm Indian time. The Russian President has arrived to attend the 23rd annual summit. This is the first time Putin is visiting India since the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine.

This is also the first visit of the Russian President since 2021. Several agreements between India and Russia are expected to be signed during Putin's visit. These are said to include defence agreements and trade agreements. Prime Minister Narendra Modi went in person to the airport to receive the head of a foreign country, breaking with standard protocol.

Narendra Modi received Putin in person at the airport because India attaches great importance to the visit, where many crucial decisions and agreements are expected in the defense sector. Modi's direct reception is also a signal to India's opponents about how strong the India-Russia relationship is, in a situation where the United States, among others, is at loggerheads.

The Prime Minister is hosting a dinner for Putin tonight. The Russian President's official engagements begin on Friday. He will meet the President at Rashtrapati Bhavan at 11 am. Putin will then pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat and proceed to Hyderabad House, where important bilateral talks will take place.