The International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant extends across 125 nations. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s travel is now limited to a few non-aligned states where the threat of detention is manageable.

As the leader of a nuclear superpower, Putin is confined to a shrinking map. The war in Ukraine has cost Russia not just territory and treasure, but has also isolated him internationally.

Until yesterday, there was only one path to rehabilitation. One figure had the stature, independence from western pressure, and credibility to validate Putin’s re-emergence: Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The question was whether Modi would do it. On December 4, he proved he would.

Modi did something few world leaders do anymore: he went to the airport tarmac.

When Putin’s aircraft landed at Palam Technical Airport in New Delhi, he was there breaking protocol in a gesture that surprised even the Russian delegation. What followed was a masterclass in diplomatic signalling.

The Prime Minister greeted the Russian President with a handshake and then an embrace, a genuine hug between two leaders who have known each other for decades. The decision that dominated headlines was that the two left the airport together in a single vehicle. Not Putin’s usual Aurus Senat limousine or Modi’s Range Rover, but a white Toyota Fortuner, registration number MH01 EN 5795.

Why does this matter? Because every detail was calculated.

Both leaders broke security protocol by sharing the same car. As they drove from the airport to 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, they sat together in a Toyota Fortuner that symbolically embodied something profound: neither was going to hide. The choice of vehicle was deliberate.

Modi’s Range Rover and Putin’s Aurus Senat followed behind, signalling that the principals had transcended formal state visit protocols. They were having a conversation that began the moment the car doors........

© News18