The Indian Prime Minister begins a two-day visit to Russia today, Monday, which is his first since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine, a war that has complicated the relationship between the longtime partners and prompted Russia to draw closer to China, India's competitor.

The visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will include a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he last saw in Russia in 2019, in the port city of Vladivostok in the country’s Far East. The two leaders also met in person in September 2022 in Uzbekistan at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit.

Russia has had strong ties with India since the Cold War, and New Delhi's importance as a key trading partner for Moscow has increased since the Kremlin sent troops to Ukraine in February 2022. China and India have become major buyers of Russian oil after the sanctions imposed by the United States and its allies, which led to most Western markets closing to Russian exports.

Under Modi’s leadership, India has avoided condemning the Russian war in Ukraine while emphasizing the need for a peaceful settlement.

However, the partnership between Moscow and New Delhi has become fraught with tension, as Russia has started to develop closer ties with China, India's main rival, due to the hostilities in Ukraine.

Modi notably distanced himself last week from the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Kazakhstan.

Shitej Bagchi, a senior research fellow for South Asia at Chatham House in the UK, said India has increasingly distanced itself from forums where Russia and China play prominent roles.

He explained, “This is evident in India's relatively low profile presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization last year and now Modi's decision not to attend this year's summit.”

The confrontation that occurred in June 2020 along the disputed border between China and India led to a major shift in their already sensitive relationship, as competing troops fought with stones, sticks, and fists. At least 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese soldiers were killed. Tensions have persisted since then despite talks.

These tensions have seeped into the way New Delhi views Moscow.

Dr. Bala Venkatesh Varma, India's former ambassador to Russia, told the Associated Press: "Russia's relations with China have been a concern for India in the context of increasing Chinese assertiveness in the region."

But Modi will also seek to continue close relations with Russia, an important trading partner and major defense supplier for India.

Since Western sanctions banned Russian oil exports following the onset of the Ukrainian war, India has become a major buyer of Russian oil. It now sources over 40% of its oil imports from Russia, according to analysts.

India also heavily relies on Russia for military supplies, but as Moscow’s supply line has been affected by fighting in Ukraine, India has diversified its defense purchases, buying more from the U.S., Israel, France, and Italy.

Bagchi said: "It is clear that defense cooperation will be one of the prioritized areas," adding that 60% of India's military equipment and systems "are still of Russian origin."

He added, "We have seen some delays in the delivery of spare parts... after the Russian invasion of Ukraine." And "I believe the two countries are set to conclude a military logistics agreement, which will pave the way for more defense exchanges."

India has adopted a neutral stance, neither condemning nor condoning the war that Russia has waged on Ukraine, and calling for negotiations to end the fighting. This, in turn, has bolstered Putin's efforts to counter what he calls Western dominance over global affairs.

In the face of an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for actions related to the war in Ukraine, Putin’s foreign trips have been relatively few in recent years, so Modi's trip could help bolster the Russian leader's image.

Teresa Fallon, an analyst at the Center for Russia, Europe, and Asia Studies, said: "We see Putin on a trip down memory lane, you know, he was in Vietnam, he was in North Korea," and from my perspective, he is trying to prove that he is not a Chinese vassal, that he has options, and that Russia is still a great power."

Alexander Gabuev, head of the Carnegie Moscow Center, said Putin's interactions on the global stage demonstrate that he is "far from isolation" and that Russia is not a country to be underestimated.

Trade development will be prominently featured in the talks, especially intentions to develop a maritime corridor between India’s main port of Chennai and Vladivostok, the gateway to Russia's far east.

Indian Foreign Minister Vinay Mohan Kwatra told reporters on Friday that trade between India and Russia has seen a sharp increase, reaching nearly $65 billion in the 2023-2024 fiscal year, thanks to strong cooperation in the energy sector.

Kwatra noted that imports from Russia amounted to $60 billion and exports from India were $4 billion in the 2023-24 fiscal year. The fiscal year in India runs from April to March.

He stated that India is trying to rectify the trade imbalance with Russia by increasing its exports. The main exports from India to Russia include pharmaceuticals, communication equipment, iron and steel, and marine products and machinery.

The main imports from Russia include crude oil, petroleum products, coal, coke, pearls, precious and semi-precious stones, fertilizers, vegetable oils, gold, and silver.