‘Putin–Modi Summit Signals Defiance, Continuity, and Intent’

India’s relationship with Russia remains shaped by messaging rather than theatrics, says Nandan Unnikrishnan, Distinguished Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, speaking as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin hold the 23rd India-Russia Summit.

The first message, he says, is clear: India will not let other nations determine its diplomatic relationships, despite Western pressure to scale back ties with Moscow. The second is aimed at Russia’s domestic and international audience — demonstrating that Moscow is not isolated, despite Western attempts since the Ukraine invasion.

Unnikrishnan calls the timing symbolic, noting this is Putin’s first visit to India since the war began . On the diplomatic sparring seen in Indian newspapers — with European envoys critici