Putin's visit highlights Indian imports of discounted Russian oil in the face of US sanctions

NEW DELHI (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin will be in India this week for a summit aimed at deepening economic, defense and energy ties, a visit that will also test New Delhi’s efforts to balance relations with Moscow and Washington as the war in Ukraine grinds on.

Putin is scheduled to arrive on the state visit Thursday and hold talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday. They are expected to review progress on bilateral ties, discuss issues of mutual interest and sign interdepartmental and business agreements, both governments said.

India has continued to buy discounted Russian oil, despite warnings from Washington that this is partly keeping Moscow’s revenues afloat to fund the Ukraine war. U.S. President Donald Trump has imposed additional 25% tariffs on Indian imports, raising the total duties to 50%, in retaliation.

India has defended its imports as essential for meeting the growing energy needs of its 1.4 billion people.

Putin last visited India in 2021. Modi was in Moscow last year, and the two leaders briefly met in September in China during a Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit.

The India-Russia summit comes as the United States renews its push for a Ukraine peace plan and seeks broader cooperation from key partners.

Putin met U.S. presidential envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner in the Kremlin Tuesday to discuss the proposals, which critics have described as too heavily tilted toward Moscow. Yuri Ushakov, one of Putin's senior advisers, told journalists after the meeting that talks had been “productive” but said that much work still remained.

Modi has avoided condemning Russia for the fighting in Ukraine while emphasizing the need for a peaceful settlement.

Sreeram Sundar Chaulia, an international affairs expert at the Jindal School of International Affairs near New Delhi, said India has avoided taking on an overt mediating role because it could complicate its ties with both Russia and the U.S.

“But behind-the-scenes diplomacy by Modi is feasible, and has happened already to some extent,” Chaulia said.

Modi could try to nudge Putin “to accommodate some Ukrainian and European concerns to bring about a cessation of hostilities,” he added.

India and Russia will look at bolstering their bilateral relationship and are expected to deliver a package of documents centered around economic cooperation, trade facilitation, maritime, healthcare and media exchanges, according to Indian officials involved in the summit’s preparation. They spoke on condition of anonymity as the details aren’t public.

India is keen to increase exports of pharmaceuticals, agriculture and textiles to Russia and is seeking the removal of non-tariff barriers. New Delhi is also seeking long-term supplies of fertilizers from Moscow.

Another key area where the two countries are working to finalize an agreement is the safe and regulated migration of Indian skilled workers to Russia.

The U.S. has pressed India to halt purchases of discounted Russian oil, accusing New Delhi of helping fund Moscow’s war effort. In August, Trump imposed a 50% tariff on Indian imports to increase pressure over the issue.

India rejected the charge, saying it follows international sanctions and prioritizes its national interest and energy security. But its position could become more complicated after new U.S. sanctions on Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil. Indian officials said the country will avoid buying oil from sanctioned producers, while keeping options open with companies not targeted by the restrictions.

“India will certainly underscore that there is no Indian desire to cut off energy supplies from Russia completely,” said Harsh Pant, vice president of foreign policy at the Observer Research Foundation, a New Delhi-based think tank.

Pant said future imports will depend “on the market forces and how effective sanctions are in weaning away Indian private sector or Indian state-run companies from Russian energy sources."

Energy cooperation is expected to feature prominently at the summit, including India’s investments in Russia’s Far East and expanded civil nuclear collaboration. The Kudankulam nuclear power plant in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, built with Russian assistance, remains the centerpiece of that partnership, and officials said talks continue on localized equipment manufacturing and potential joint projects in third countries.

India is expected to push Russia for faster delivery of two further S-400 surface-to-air missile systems, after receiving three under a 2018 deal worth about $5.4 billion. The delay has been tied to supply chain disruptions linked to the war in Ukraine.

Indian authorities are also likely to explore the possibility of acquiring additional S-400 units or an upgraded variant, though no contract or announcement is expected.

Indian defense planners say the S-400 proved effective during a brief military standoff with Pakistan in May.

“The meeting will focus on broader elements of institutional cooperation on defense between our two sides and will try to ensure that delivery delays are ended. Potentially, S-400 additional is not ruled out, but don’t expect any announcement during the visit,” India’s Defense Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh said at a security conference in New Delhi last week.

Talks are also expected on upgrading India’s Russian-made Su-30MKI fighter jets and accelerating deliveries of critical military hardware, as well as improving coordination on joint exercises and disaster relief.

Despite India diversifying its procurement of military hardware over the last few years, Russia continues to be its biggest supplier. Moscow is keen on selling its stealth fighter jet Su-57 to India, but New Delhi has kept its options open to other foreign suppliers as well.

FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi examine a hall prior to the award ceremony of Narendra Modi with the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on July 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)

FILE - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin stand in a hall in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on July 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)

FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi greet each other before their meeting in New Delhi, India, on Dec. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup, File)

FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, look at a model of a Leader nuclear-powered icebreaker as they visit the Zvezda shipyard in the town of Bolshoi Kamen, Russia, on Sept. 4, 2019. (Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)

FILE - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, right, hugs Russian President Vladimir Putin before their meeting in New Delhi, India, on Oct. 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup, File)

Cape Verde was holding a presidential election on Sunday, a vote that could see the Atlantic island nation off the coast of West Africa elect its first woman president since independence from Portugal in 1975.

Former Justice Minister Joana Rosa is challenging incumbent José Maria Neves, who is seeking a second term. Six candidates are in the running and if no candidate receives more than half the votes, a runoff would be held on Nov. 29.

Rosa is running with the support of the opposition Movement for Democracy, a party that ruled the country for 10 years before losing in the parliamentary elections in May. Women have held senior Cabinet posts, but Cape Verde has never had a female prime minister or president.

In Cape Verde’s parliamentary system, the prime minister directs government policy and holds most executive authority. The president’s role is largely symbolic, although the directly elected head of state can veto legislation.

The country is home to about half a million people and has a record of peaceful transfers of power and competitive elections in a region where that is rare. Nearly 77,000 Cape Verdeans abroad are registered to vote, almost a fifth of the total electorate.

Roselma Évora, a professor of political science and gender studies at the University of Cabo Verde, said that limited economic prospects have been driving young people to seek opportunities abroad. Also, she said, many voters feel distant from their leaders and want a president who understands their daily difficulties.

Neves, who won in 2021 with about 52% of the vote, has pledged to build cross-party support to improve housing, healthcare and education, create jobs and raise wages.

His incumbency has given Neves greater visibility in the race, including among overseas voters, Évora said, adding that Rosa’s candidacy challenges traditional expectations of women’s roles in a society that remains “very patriarchal."

Rosa has centered her campaign on maintaining a balance of power, arguing that the country needs a counterweight to the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde, which backs Neves and controls the government and most municipalities.

Known as PAICV, the party won a parliamentary majority in May, ending a decade of government led by the Movement for Democracy. A Rosa victory would again put the presidency and government in rival political camps.

Rosário Luz, a Cape Verde-based writer, said party loyalties mattered more than Rosa’s gender.

“We have a lot of women in politics, but we don’t have the policies for women that we should have,” she said.

Women carry much of the financial responsibility for their households in Cape Verde, but government policies have failed to address that burden, Luz said.

A vehicle drives past electoral banners for presidential candidates Joana Rosa and José Maria Neves, ahead of the presidential elections in Praia, Cape Verde, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Cristiano Barbosa)

Cape Verde president José Maria Neves speaks during a rally ahead of the presidential elections, in Praia, Cape Verde, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Cristiano Barbosa)

Supporters of Cape Verde president José Maria Neves cheer during a rally ahead of the presidential elections, in Praia, Cape Verde, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Cristiano Barbosa)

People walk past an electoral banner for Cape Verde president José Maria Neves, ahead of the presidential elections, in Praia, Cape Verde, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Cristiano Barbosa)

Electoral banners showing presidential candidates Joana Rosa and José Maria Neves, ahead of the presidential elections in Praia, Cape Verde, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Cristiano Barbosa)