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Russia’s Putin seeks to boost energy, defence exports with India visit

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Russia’s Putin seeks to boost energy, defence exports with India visit


Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attend a meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China, September 1, 2025. — Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attend a meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China, September 1, 2025. — Reuters
  • President Putin visiting India after four years.
  • India-Russia to expand partnership in nuclear energy.
  • Moscow likely to seek help to get spares for its oil assets.

NEW DELHI: Russian President Vladimir Putin starts a two-day visit to India from Thursday, pitching for more sales of Russian oil, missile systems and fighter jets in a bid to restore energy and defence ties hit by US pressure on the South Asian nation.

Russia has supplied arms to India for decades, with New Delhi emerging as its top buyer of seaborne oil despite Western sanctions after Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

But India’s crude imports are set to hit a three-year low this month, after the tightening of sanctions on Russia that coincide with its growing purchases of US oil and gas.

On his first visit in four years to the Indian capital for a summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Putin will be accompanied by his defence minister, Andrei Belousov, and a wide-ranging delegation from business and industry.

“Putin’s visit offers an opportunity for Delhi to reassert the strength of its special relationship with Moscow, despite recent developments, and make headway in new arms deals,” said Michael Kugelman of the Atlantic Council think tank.

“India-Russia summits are never solely optics-driven affairs, given the substance of the relationship,” added Kugelman, a senior South Asia fellow at the Washington-based body.

New initiatives were likely to be announced, he added, even if they mostly related to low-hanging fruit in ties, he said.

Possible US reaction

But Indian officials worry that any fresh energy and defence deals with Russia could trigger a reaction from US President Donald Trump, who doubled tariffs to 50% in August on Indian goods, as punishment for New Delhi’s purchases of Russian crude.

Ahead of Putin’s visit, officials of both sides held talks in areas from defence to shipping and agriculture. In August, they agreed to launch talks for a free trade deal between India and the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union.

They are also in talks to expand their partnership in civilian nuclear energy, Indian analysts have said.

Putin’s delegation includes the chief executives of dominant Russian lender Sberbank and state arms exporter Rosoboronexport, as well as the heads of sanctioned oil firms Rosneft and GazpromNeft an industry source with direct knowledge of the matter said.

In the talks, Moscow is likely to seek India’s help to get spares and technical equipment for its oil assets, as sanctions have choked access to key suppliers, said the industry source and a separate Indian government source.

President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands as they attend a joint press conference at the White House in Washington, DC, US on  February 13, 2025. — Reuters
President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands as they attend a joint press conference at the White House in Washington, DC, US on  February 13, 2025. — Reuters

The spoke on condition of anonymity as the matter is a sensitive one.

India is likely to pitch for the restoration of a stake of 20% for state gas explorer ONGC Videsh Ltd in the Sakhalin-1 project in Russia’s far east, the government source added.

India a US trade deal by year end, as most of its refiners have stopped buying Russian oil, though widening discounts are now drawing in some state refiners.

Indian Oil Corp has placed orders from non-sanctioned Russian entities for December and January loading while Bharat Petroleum Corp is in advanced stages of placing an order, sources at the two companies said.

The sources sought anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to media.

Reliance in defence sector

Unlike crude, India does not plan to freeze defence ties with Moscow anytime soon as it requires continued support for the many Russian systems it operates, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh said last week.

Russian Sukhoi-30 jets make up the majority of India’s 29 fighter squadrons and Moscow has also offered its most advanced fighter, the Su-57, which is likely to figure in this week’s talks, said two Indian officials familiar with the matter.

India has not yet made a decision on buying the jet, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Sukhoi Su-57 jet fighter performs during International military-technical forum Army-2020 at Kubinka airbase in Moscow Region, Russia August 25, 2020. — Reuters
Sukhoi Su-57 jet fighter performs during International military-technical forum “Army-2020” at Kubinka airbase in Moscow Region, Russia August 25, 2020. — Reuters

But India is likely to discuss buying more units of the S-400 air defence system, Singh said last week. It now has three units, with delivery of two more pending under a 2018 deal.

Recent US-Russia talks to ending the Ukraine war, could help make it easier for Indian officials to engage with Moscow, said Harsh Pant, head of foreign policy studies at India’s Observer Research Foundation think tank.

But ties continue to appear strained, he said.

“A large part of the trading relationship was based on energy, which is now losing traction under the threat of sanctions from the United States,” he added.

“And at the end of the day, only defence remains, which continues to bind the two together.”





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Modi-led BJP govt under fire for exiting Iran Chabahar port deal after US sanctions

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Modi-led BJP govt under fire for exiting Iran Chabahar port deal after US sanctions


Harbour security men stand guard at Shahid Beheshti Port in the southeastern Iranian coastal city of Chabahar, on the Gulf of Oman. — AFP/File
Harbour security men stand guard at Shahid Beheshti Port in the southeastern Iranian coastal city of Chabahar, on the Gulf of Oman. — AFP/File
  • New Delhi incurs $120m losses after exiting port development deal.
  • Congress leader terms move “a new low” in India’s foreign policy.
  • Experts say actions raise concerns about India’s role at Chabahar.

The Indian government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has come under heavy fire at home after it withdrew from the Chabahar port agreement with Iran, with critics arguing the move was a strategic retreat rather than a proactive foreign policy decision.

New Delhi was forced to abandon its involvement in the port after the United States imposed a 25% tariff on countries doing business with Tehran, The Economic Times reported on Thursday.

According to the publication, India’s withdrawal was carried out without any formal announcement, resulting in the loss of $120 million already paid to Iran.

The amount had been transferred before the decision to disengage and is now considered unrecoverable, the report stated.

The state-run company working at the port, India Ports Global Limited (IPGL), saw its board of directors submit collective resignations after the decision, while the company’s official website has also been shut down.

Congress party leader Pawan Khera termed the move “a new low” in the Modi-led government’s foreign policy.

“So the question is not of Chabahar Port or of Russian oil. The question is: Why is Modi allowing USA to arm-twist India?” he asked in an X post.

India assumed responsibility in 2024 for developing Chabahar port under a 10-year arrangement with Iran.

Meanwhile, a foreign journal reported that the $120 million already paid to Iran can now be used by it at its discretion for the port’s construction and development.

Observers described India’s withdrawal from Chabahar port as another major setback for New Delhi.

The Congress party sharply criticised the Modi-led government over the decision, saying the Indian prime minister “has once again surrendered to Trump”.

“$120 million of India’s taxpayers’ money was invested by the Modi government in this strategically important project, but now it’s all gone up in smoke,” read a post on the party’s X handle.

The Indian opposition party recalled Modi hailing the agreement as “a major strategic win”, saying India’s control over the port has been relinquished, with complete silence from the government.

“Unfortunately, Modi has bowed before Trump’s pressure and compromised India’s national interest,” the party stated.

Meanwhile, economic affairs experts believe the latest actions reinforced concerns surrounding India’s role at Chabahar.

They voiced concerns that India was using the port for nefarious objectives, saying that IPGL’s conduct suggested it was created primarily to acquire control of Chabahar.





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Former South Korean president yoon sentenced to five years in prison

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Former South Korean president yoon sentenced to five years in prison



A South Korean court on Friday sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to five years in prison on charges that included obstructing attempts by authorities to arrest him following his failed bid to impose martial law in December 2024.

The Seoul Central District Court found Yoon guilty of mobilising the presidential security service to block authorities from executing an arrest warrant that had been legally issued by a court to investigate him for his martial law declaration.

In televised proceedings, he was also found guilty of charges that included fabricating official documents and failing to comply with the legal process required for martial law.

The ruling is the first related to the criminal charges Yoon faces over his botched martial law declaration.

“The defendant abused his enormous influence as president to prevent the execution of legitimate warrants through officials from the Security Service, which effectively privatised officials … loyal to the Republic of Korea for personal safety and personal gain,” the lead judge on the three-justice panel said.

Speaking outside the court immediately after the decision, one of Yoon’s lawyers, Yoo Jung-hwa, said the former president would appeal the ruling. “We express regret that the decision was made in a politicised manner,” she said.

He could face the death sentence in a separate trial on a charge of masterminding an insurrection by declaring martial law without justification.

Yoon has argued it was within his powers as president to declare martial law and that the action was aimed at sounding the alarm over the obstruction of government by opposition parties.

Yoon, who also denied Friday’s charges, could have faced up to 10 years in jail over the obstruction charges related to when he barricaded himself inside his residential compound in January last year and ordered the security service to block investigators.

He was finally arrested in a second attempt involving more than 3,000 police officers. Yoon’s arrest was the first ever for a sitting president in South Korea.

Parliament, joined by some members of Yoon’s conservative party, voted within hours to overturn his surprise martial law decree and later impeached him, suspending his powers.

He was removed from office in April last year by the Constitutional Court, which ruled he violated the duties of his office.

While Yoon’s bid to impose martial law lasted only about six hours, it sent shockwaves through South Korea, which is Asia’s fourth-largest economy, a key US security ally, and long considered one of the world’s most resilient democracies.



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South Korean ex-leader jailed for 5 years in first martial law verdict

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South Korean ex-leader jailed for 5 years in first martial law verdict


South Koreas former president Yoon Suk Yeol attends the third session of the G20 Leaders Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on November 19, 2024. — AFP
South Korea’s former president Yoon Suk Yeol attends the third session of the G20 Leaders’ Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on November 19, 2024. — AFP
  • Judge finds Yoon guilty of obstructing justice and other crimes.
  • Separate insurrection verdict is scheduled for February 19.
  • Yoon faces another trial over alleged drone flights to North Korea.

SEOUL: A South Korean judge sentenced former president Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday to five years in prison for obstructing justice and other crimes linked to his disastrous martial law declaration and in its chaotic aftermath.

It is the first in a series of verdicts for the disgraced ex-leader, whose brief suspension of civilian rule in South Korea on December 3, 2024 prompted massive protests and a showdown in parliament.

Now ousted from power, he faces multiple trials for actions taken during that debacle and in the turmoil that followed.

On Friday Judge Baek Dae-hyun at Seoul’s Central District Court said he found Yoon guilty of obstruction of justice by blocking investigators from detaining him.

Yoon was also found guilty of excluding cabinet members from a martial law planning meeting.

“Despite having a duty, above all others, to uphold the Constitution and observe the rule of law as president, the defendant instead displayed an attitude that disregarded the… Constitution,” Baek said.

“The defendant’s culpability is extremely grave,” he said.

But Yoon was not guilty of forging official documents due to lack of evidence, the judge said.

Yoon has seven days to appeal, he added.

Prosecutors had called for a 10-year prison term, while Yoon had insisted no law was broken.

Yoon defiant

It comes days after prosecutors in a separate case demanded Yoon be sentenced to death for his role as the “ringleader of an insurrection” in orchestrating the imposition of martial law.

A large screen shows an image of impeached South Korea president Yoon Suk Yeol as light sticks held by his supporters are seen during a rally near his residence in Seoul on January 7, 2025. — AFP
A large screen shows an image of impeached South Korea president Yoon Suk Yeol as light sticks held by his supporters are seen during a rally near his residence in Seoul on January 7, 2025. — AFP 

They argued Yoon deserved the severest possible punishment as he had shown “no remorse” for actions that threatened “constitutional order and democracy”.

If he is found guilty it is highly unlikely the sentence will actually be carried out, as South Korea has had an unofficial moratorium on executions since 1997.

Yoon was seen smiling in court as the prosecutors demanded the punishment.

And the former leader and top prosecutor has remained defiant, saying his martial law declaration was a lawful exercise of his presidential authority.

In closing remarks on Tuesday, he insisted the “exercise of a president’s constitutional emergency powers to protect the nation and uphold the constitutional order cannot be deemed an act of insurrection”.

He accused the then-opposition party of having imposed an “unconstitutional dictatorship” through their control of the legislature.

“There was no other option but to awaken the people, who are the sovereign.”

The court is scheduled to rule on the insurrection charges on February 19.

Yoon also faces a separate trial on charges of aiding the enemy, over allegations he ordered drone flights over North Korea to bolster his case for declaring martial law.





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