By Divyanshi Sinha
Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov landed in the capital early Thursday for a high-level diplomatic mission. The visit, co-chaired by the India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission, comes at a sensitive time as regional tensions in West Asia threaten global oil supplies and maritime security.
Manturov is scheduled to meet with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Top of the agenda is the formalization of long-term energy contracts as Russia remains India’s top crude oil supplier. Discussions will also pivot toward defense cooperation and the expedited delivery of remaining S-400 missile system components. The visit follows recent US sanctions waivers that have allowed India to navigate complex trade payments with Moscow. For New Delhi, the talks are a balancing act: maintaining a "deep and important" strategic partnership with Russia while navigating a global landscape increasingly polarized by the conflict in Iran
