India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is set to embark on a critical two-day visit to Moscow on August 20–21, 2025, to hold high-stakes talks with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, amid strained India-US relations over New Delhi’s continued procurement of discounted Russian crude oil. The visit, following National Security Advisor Ajit Doval’s recent trip to Russia, where he met President Vladimir Putin and top officials, underscores India’s commitment to its “special and privileged strategic partnership” with Moscow.
Jaishankar is expected to co-chair the 26th session of the India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific-Technological, and Cultural Cooperation, led on the Russian side by First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, and may also call on President Putin to finalize preparations for Putin’s anticipated visit to India later this year.
The visit comes against the backdrop of escalating tensions with the United States, which imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods last week, raising the total tariff to 50%, as a penalty for India’s reliance on Russian oil. Since Western sanctions on Moscow following the 2022 Ukraine invasion, India has significantly increased its oil imports from Russia, with Russia’s share rising from 1.7% in 2019–20 to 35.1% in 2024–25, making it India’s top oil supplier.
India defends these purchases as essential for energy security and economic stability, with Jaishankar previously asserting that they reflect “national dignity” and market dynamics. The talks in Moscow are expected to address this issue, alongside trade, investment, and energy cooperation, with discussions on using national currencies for settlements and advancing projects in Russia’s Arctic shelf and Far East.
Jaishankar and Lavrov are also likely to deliberate on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, now in its fourth year, with India consistently advocating for a peaceful resolution through dialogue. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his 2024 visits to Moscow and Kyiv, urged both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to prioritize diplomacy, emphasizing that “peace efforts do not succeed amidst bombs and bullets.”
The Moscow talks will also cover global and regional issues, including cooperation within the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), BRICS, and the UN, as India prepares to host Putin later this year. As India navigates US tariffs and global geopolitical shifts, Jaishankar’s visit aims to reinforce the time-tested India-Russia partnership, balancing economic interests with strategic diplomacy.
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