Vladimir Putin will visit India this year, according to Foreign Minister Lavrov.

• Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit India this year.
• Both countries are preparing for the tour.
• Lavrov appreciated India’s “balanced” approach towards the Ukraine crisis.
• The visit is symbolic of India’s first bilateral foreign visit since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s re-election in 2022.
• This will be Putin’s first trip to India since the Ukraine crisis began in February 2022.
• Putin visited India in December 2021 for the 21st India-Russia annual summit.