12/04/2025
New Delhi, Dec. 4: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin at Delhi’s Palam airport.
The two leaders exchanged a warm handshake, shared a hug and greeted each other before leaving together in the same car.
Following the unusual carpool ride, PM Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived at the prime minister’s official residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg. Putin was hosted there for a private dinner, though the specifics of the meeting and the menu have not been disclosed so far.
During the two-day visit, which is the Russian President’s first visit to the country since the start of the war in Ukraine, Russia and India are set to sign several agreements to enhance cooperation between the two countries in various areas, including healthcare and trade, during Putin’s visit.
In September, during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in China, Putin had given PM Modi a ride in his official car — a symbolic gesture that came just as US President Donald Trump launched a sweeping tariff offensive targeting India’s oil trade with Russia.-Agencies