External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Tuesday (November 18, 2025), where he briefed him on the ongoing preparations for the upcoming annual India-Russia summit. The meeting, held at the Representative Office of the Senate Palace, comes weeks before President Putin’s anticipated visit to India in early December.

A key meeting ahead of Putin’s December visit

State-run TASS reported that President Putin welcomed Mr. Jaishankar with a handshake, accompanied by senior Indian officials including Ambassador Vinay Kumar and Joint Secretary Mayank Singh. The External Affairs Minister conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s greetings to the Russian leader and highlighted India’s commitment to strengthening strategic cooperation.

“Honoured to call on President Putin of Russia in Moscow today. Conveyed greetings of Prime Minister @narendramodi,” Mr. Jaishankar wrote on social media. He added that he had updated Mr. Putin on summit preparations and discussed major regional and global developments impacting bilateral ties.

President Putin, who is expected to arrive in India around 5 December, will hold the 23rd annual summit with Prime Minister Modi, reaffirming the continuity of the long-standing partnership between the two nations.

High-level Russian officials join talks

The meeting saw the participation of key members of the Russian government, including Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration Maxim Oreshkin, Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov, Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov and Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko. Their presence underscored Moscow’s emphasis on ensuring substantial outcomes from the upcoming summit.

Visuals released by the Kremlin showed Mr. Jaishankar and President Putin engaged in discussions that officials described as cordial and forward-looking. Both sides reviewed ongoing defence, energy, nuclear, and space cooperation, while also exchanging views on global stability, the evolving situation in Eurasia, and prospects for enhanced economic engagement.

Broader diplomatic engagements in Russia

Mr. Jaishankar’s meeting with President Putin followed his extensive discussions on Monday (November 17, 2025) with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The two leaders reviewed the full spectrum of India-Russia relations, including trade, connectivity projects, military-technical cooperation, and coordination in multilateral forums.

Mr. Jaishankar also joined President Putin earlier along with other heads of delegations representing the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). That meeting included Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin; Iranian Vice-President Mohammad Reza Aref; Prime Ministers Alexander Turchin (Belarus), Oljas Bektenov (Kazakhstan), Adylbek Kasymaliyev (Kyrgyzstan), Kokhir Rasulzoda (Tajikistan), and Abdulla Aripov (Uzbekistan); Pakistan’s Deputy PM Ishaq Dar; and SCO Secretary General Nurlan Yermekbayev.

Bilateral meetings on the sidelines of SCO

On the sidelines of the SCO proceedings, the External Affairs Minister also held talks with Mongolia’s Prime Minister Gombojavyn Zandanshatar and Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. Discussions focused on regional developments, connectivity efforts, trade prospects and cooperation within multilateral platforms.

Mr. Jaishankar separately expressed gratitude to Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin for hosting the SCO Heads of Government meeting and for extending hospitality to all delegations.

Conclusion

The minister’s engagements in Moscow signal the continued vitality of the India-Russia strategic partnership, even as both nations navigate a shifting geopolitical environment. With President Putin’s visit to India approaching, officials on both sides appear intent on ensuring that the upcoming annual summit delivers tangible progress across defence, energy, connectivity and multilateral cooperation.