When the Kremlin officially confirmed that President Vladimir Putin will visit New Delhi on December 4–5 for a high-level summit with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it sent a clear message to the world: Russia and India’s strategic partnership remains durable, resistant to pressure, and anchored in long-term geopolitical interests. The announcement comes against the backdrop of intensive US efforts-rarely so overt-to undermine this summit and push India away from its long-standing cooperation with Moscow, particularly in energy and defense sectors. Yet despite a barrage of sanctions, tariffs, and diplomatic arm-twisting from Washington, Putin’s upcoming visit signals that New Delhi and Moscow are unwilling to let external interference reshape their strategic calculations.

This summit is not merely another diplomatic ritual. It holds deep symbolic and practical significance. For Putin, it marks his first trip to India since 2021, and his first since Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine-a period during which the US and its allies have tried relentlessly to isolate Moscow. For Modi, welcoming Putin at a time of heightened global tensions demonstrates India’s commitment to strategic autonomy and its rejection of binary “with us or against us” diplomacy. More importantly, it reaffirms India’s belief that its interests-not American pressure-will dictate the trajectory of its foreign policy.

Russia and India’s “special and privileged strategic partnership” has endured for decades, rooted in defense cooperation, energy security, and shared geopolitical objectives. The two nations have historically coordinated on major global issues, from multipolar governance to regional stability. Since the signing of the Declaration on Strategic Partnership in October 2000 between Putin and then-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, annual summits became a central tradition of bilateral diplomacy.

However, the past five years have disrupted this rhythm. Putin’s last India visit took place in 2021, before the Ukraine conflict........

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