Noting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first foreign visit after his re-election last year was to Russia, it said on Thursday now it’s out turn while announcing President Vladimir Putin has accepted an invitation from Modi to visit. However, the dates of the visit have not been revealed yet. Announcing Putin’s visit, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said preparations are underway for it. In a video address to a conference titled “Russia and India: Toward a New Bilateral Agenda” hosted by the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), Lavrov said, “Arrangements are currently being made for Putin to visit India.”

“Putin has accepted an invitation to visit from the Indian head of government. A visit by the Russian head of state to the Republic of India is currently being prepared,” the Russian foreign minister was quoted as saying by the state-run TASS news agency. Lavrov noted that Prime Minister Modi’s first foreign visit after his re-election last year was to Russia. “Now it’s our turn,” he said.

The two leaders are expected to discuss the Ukraine war as well as the geopolitical developments following Donald Trump taking over as US President.

India has maintained a neutral stance on the Ukraine conflict, even though Prime Minister Modi has repeatedly told Putin that it was not the era of war.

In fact, Modi was one of the few leaders in 2024 to visit both Moscow and Kyiv to meet Ukrainian President Zelenskyy. The PM also travelled to Russia’s Kazan in October for the BRICS Summit. Prime Minister Modi visited Russia in July 2024, his first trip to the country in nearly five years. Earlier, he visited the far eastern city of Vladivostok in 2019 to attend an economic conclave. During the last visit, Modi invited Putin to visit India. On March 24, Lavrov said Russia is developing a “privileged strategic partnership”with India.