Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to meet on Friday, a day before the BRICS summit in New Delhi, according to the Kremlin.
The meeting before the summit
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Modi and Putin would meet on Friday ahead of the September 12–13 BRICS summit in Delhi. The bilateral meeting gives the two leaders space to discuss India-Russia ties separately from the larger multilateral agenda.
Peskov described the relationship between the two leaders as pragmatic and said bilateral and major global issues would be discussed.
Trade, energy and payments will be hard to ignore
India-Russia economic ties have changed significantly in recent years, particularly around energy and payment mechanisms. Moscow has increasingly used national currencies in trade with BRICS partners, while Indian companies have explored opportunities in the Russian market.
The Kremlin has also said it is open to different acceptable payment methods and does not frame the shift toward national currencies as a simple anti-dollar campaign.
Defence remains a sensitive pillar
The relationship also includes defence supply and technology cooperation. Peskov has spoken about ongoing commitments such as S-400 deliveries and broader military-technical cooperation, while acknowledging that many details are handled discreetly because of their sensitivity.
Any new public announcement would therefore attract attention, but the absence of one would not mean defence issues were not discussed.
BRICS gives the meeting a larger backdrop
The summit comes at a time of geopolitical strain involving Russia, the West and tensions in West Asia. India is hosting leaders with very different strategic interests, so New Delhi’s ability to keep BRICS focused on practical cooperation will be closely watched.
For the Modi-Putin meeting, the central question is whether the leaders announce specific outcomes on trade, energy, defence or diplomacy — or keep the most consequential parts of the discussion private.
Source: The Indian Express. Bilibilii has independently rewritten and contextualised the reported facts.
Featured image: Bilibilii editorial graphic. It is illustrative and should not be treated as documentary evidence of the event.
