Putin Meets Jaishankar at Kremlin to Discuss India-Russia Strategic Partnership Expansion

Russian President Vladimir Putin met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at the Kremlin in Moscow on Monday, August 24, in a discussion that centred on deepening the India-Russia strategic partnership and widening cooperation in trade, energy, fertilisers and nuclear power.

Jaishankar conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s greetings to Putin and handed over a personal message from the Indian leader, as New Delhi and Moscow continued their high-level diplomatic engagement across political, economic and strategic channels.

Putin used the meeting to stress the long arc of bilateral ties, saying Jaishankar’s visit reflected the depth of relations built between India and Russia over several decades. He said the partnership extends across government-to-government contacts, parliamentary exchanges and economic cooperation, and noted that bilateral trade continued to grow in 2026.

The Russian President also said cooperation was expanding across almost all areas, underlining the breadth of the relationship at a time when both sides are seeking to maintain momentum in established sectors and explore new ones.

Jaishankar, in turn, briefed Putin on the outcome of the India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission meeting and presented a positive assessment of the economic relationship. He pointed to visible progress in bilateral trade, energy, fertilisers and nuclear cooperation, and said India was keen to keep expanding collaboration.

Fertilisers emerged as a particularly important topic in the talks. Putin said Russia was already taking steps to meet the needs of Indian farmers and the country’s agricultural sector, and added that Moscow was ready to further increase fertiliser supplies to India.

Energy remains one of the central pillars of India-Russia economic engagement, while civil nuclear cooperation continues to be an important part of the broader strategic partnership. The meeting in Moscow brought these established areas of collaboration into sharper focus as both sides looked at ways to broaden the relationship further.

High-level political exchanges also figured prominently in the conversation. Jaishankar told Putin that Modi was looking forward to meeting him at the forthcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit. He also conveyed that the Prime Minister looked forward to welcoming the Russian President to India for the BRICS Summit.

In addition, the two leaders are expected to hold their annual India-Russia summit at a mutually convenient time. Jaishankar said India and Russia had a strong record of cooperation to present at the upcoming engagements, reflecting the continued momentum in the relationship.

The Kremlin meeting comes as India and Russia seek to expand their traditional partnership into new areas while reinforcing cooperation in defence, energy, nuclear power, fertilisers, trade and other sectors. The talks also highlighted the importance both governments attach to regular top-level political contact amid a shifting global geopolitical and economic environment.