World
Modi-Putin Bilateral Talks Set for Friday Ahead of BRICS Summit, Su-57 Jet Deal Expected to Feature
By HT News Desk
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold bilateral talks on Friday, September 11, on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. Speaking to reporters during a virtual briefing from Moscow on Tuesday, Peskov confirmed the meeting was scheduled and said the two leaders would begin by discussing bilateral matters, as is customary.
Among the topics expected to be raised is the potential sale of Su-57 fighter aircraft to India, along with broader discussions on trade and economic cooperation, Peskov said. India has not issued an official response to these remarks.
Peskov also addressed the United States' proposal to impose 100% tariffs on nations purchasing Russian crude oil, describing the move as "illegal and unacceptable."
The BRICS Summit will be held on September 12 and 13 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi's Pragati Maidan. India assumed the BRICS presidency on January 1 this year, marking its fourth term as chair of the grouping.
The core BRICS bloc comprises 11 members: Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates, with Indonesia having joined as a full member in 2025. A wider network of 10 partner countries includes Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
Modi will host the summit, with Putin having confirmed his attendance. Chinese President Xi Jinping is also expected to participate — a visit that, if it takes place, would be his first to India since his informal meeting with Modi in Mamallapuram in 2019.
Other leaders anticipated at the summit include South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres is also expected to attend.
Modi and Putin last met in person on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan — their first face-to-face encounter since the India-Russia Summit held in New Delhi last December. During that meeting, Modi, speaking in Hindi, remarked that continued war pushes humanity backwards while steps toward peace bring renewed hope. He called for swift peaceful resolution of global conflicts, describing it as both a human necessity and India's message, invoking the legacy of Gandhi and Buddha as symbols of the path of peace.
Modi noted that the Ukraine conflict has come up in his discussions with Putin at every meeting and reiterated that India supports all efforts toward peace and will continue to do so going forward.