Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi on Thursday for meetings with top officials, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Modi welcomed Putin with a hug and whisked him off to a three-hour private dinner at his residence. The two leaders are scheduled to hold a bilateral summit on Friday.

Modi praised Putin, and Russia, as “friends” both personally and politically, praising the relationship between New Delhi and Moscow as “a time-tested one that has greatly benefited our people.”

This is Putin’s first visit to India since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. He arrived with a large entourage of Russian businesspeople, reportedly in the hope of boosting bilateral trade to over $100 billion by 2030.

Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday t

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