Russia Set To Ratify Key Military Pact With India Ahead of Putin's Visit

Russia is set to ratify a crucial military pact with India ahead of President Vladimir Putin’s upcoming state visit. Putin will make a two-day visit to India from December 4 to hold annual summit talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Russian lower house of Parliament is set to ratify a crucial military pact with India signed on February 18, 2025. The pact was signed in Moscow by the Indian Ambassador Vinay Kumar and the erstwhile Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Fomin and is known as the Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Agreement (RELOS). The State Duma has uploaded the RELOS in its ratification database along with the Russian government’s note and said that “the Russian government believes that the ratification of the document will strengthen

cooperation between Russia and India in the military sphere”, official news agency TASS reported.

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The military pact is aimed at enhancing military cooperation between the two strategic partners. The RELOS aims to streamline coordination for joint military exercises, disaster relief and other operations. RELOS will enhance military cooperation by simplifying procedures for joint activities, including exercises and disaster relief.Agreements of this kind expand the geographic opportunities for peacetime operations for both participating parties. It is possible that the provisions of this agreement will apply to joint exercises in the Arctic, as India ships LNG from the Yamal Peninsula, Izvestia daily noted at the time of its signing.

The Indian Navy’s Talwar class frigates as well as INS Vikramaditya aircraft carrier are equipped to sail in freezing climate of Arctic can use the Russian naval bases for logistic support while Russian Navy can use Indian facilities to boost its presence to offset Chinese and other outside countries presence in the Indian Ocean Region, reported PTI citing Moscow-based experts.

Why The World Would Be Watching Putin's India Visit

President Putin's India's visit is expected to produce a plethora of significant outcomes, including in the trade and defence spheres to further solidify the bilateral strategic ties.Notably, the Russian president's trip to India is taking place at a time India-US relations are going through possibly the worst phase in the last two decades after Washington imposed a whopping 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods, including 25 per cent levies for New Delhi's procurement of Russian crude oil. Also, the visit comes at a time when Russia is negotiating a peace deal regarding the Ukraine conflict based on US President Donald Trump's 28-point proposal.