Putin likely to visit India in late August, says NSA Doval

Russian President Vladimir Putin is likely to visit India soon, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval said on Thursday during his visit to Moscow, adding that the dates are nearly finalised, however the Russian news agancy Interfax reported that the visit is likely to be in late August.

“We were pleased to learn about President Putin’s visit to our country at the end of August,” Doval said during a meeting with Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu, as quoted by Sputnik India.

The development comes amidgrowing tensions between New Delhi and Washington over India’s ongoing trade ties with Moscow. On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing an additional 25% tariff on imports from India, citing New Delhi’s continued purchases of Russian oil.

The United States has also warned of potential secondary sanctions on countries buying Russian oil unless Moscow agrees to halt its war in Ukraine, which is now in its fourth year. The deadline for compliance has been set for Friday.Meanwhile, the Kremlin confirmed on Thursday that President Putin is also preparing for a meeting with US President Trump. Russian Presidential Adviser Yuri Ushakov stated that both sides are working on finalising the meeting, with a venue already agreed upon and to be announced soon.

Earlier, the Kremlin criticised President Trump’s stance, and reiterated support for India’s autonomy in trade decisions. “Sovereign countries have the right to choose their own trading partners,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, calling attempts to pressure nations into cutting trade ties with Russia “illegitimate.”