PM Modi welcomes Vladimir Putin with warm hug, dinner; official summit today

New Delhi, Oct 4: Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Delhi on Thursday on a two-day visit to hold the annual bilateral summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He was received by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and met PM Modi shortly after his arrival.

Putin will take part in the 19th India-Russia annual bilateral summit. During the summit, Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are expected to review bilateral defence cooperation.

The main focus of the visit will be the signing of the USD 5 billion worth deal to purchase S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems from Russia which will significantly bolster India's defence capabilities. S-400 Triumf is one of the world's most advanced air defence systems that can simultaneously track numerous incoming objects - all kinds of aircraft, missiles and UAVs - in a radius of a few hundred kilometres and launch appropriate missiles to neutralise them. The S-400 Triumph air defence system integrates a multifunction radar, autonomous detection and targeting systems, anti-aircraft missile systems, launchers, and command and control centre.

The prime minister hosted a private dinner for the Russian president at his official residence ahead of the crucial summit tomorrow. Both the leaders are likely to sign important agreements including the S-400 air defence systems deal on Friday.

The S-400 missile deal is a contentious deal as the United States is opposed to it. The US has imposed military sanctions against Russia under stringent CAATSA (Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act).

This also extends to countries that engage with Russia in defence matters. US' stand effectively means that any country that engages in defence or intelligence sharing with Russia could also be subject to sanctions.