Russian President Vladimir Putin will begin his two-day state visit to India on Thursday as he and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi aim to deepen economic, defense and energy ties. Putin's visit to India comes at a time when Western sanctions are forcing Moscow to turn to its decades-old ally, demonstrating Russia's priority of ties with New Delhi. Russia remains a crucial supplier of Indian military hardware and media reports suggest there are major new defense deals in the making.
Xi made the pledge to expand investment and economic relations as he met Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in Beijing on Tuesday. China has drawn closer to Moscow since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago, despite pressure from the West. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that Xi seeks to expand mutual investment with Russia, describing the enhanced ties as a shared strategic choice and declaring that the two countries must maintain close coordination.