External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is set to visit Moscow on August 20-21, 2025, to hold talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. This visit follows closely after National Security Advisor Ajit Doval's recent trip to Russia, where Doval met President Vladimir Putin.

Jaishankar's visit is aimed at reinforcing India's strategic ties with Russia amidst growing tensions with the United States, which has recently imposed a 25 percent tariff on Indian goods. This tariff is a response to India's continued procurement of Russian crude oil, which India has defended on the grounds of national interest and market dynamics.

India has increased its imports of Russian oil significantly since the Ukraine conflict began in 2022, making Russia the largest oil supplier to India now.

During his Moscow visit, Jaishankar is expected to discuss a broad bilateral agenda, including India's energy procurement, preparations for a possible visit by President Putin to India as early as mid-September, and other aspects of cooperation within international frameworks. The visit also comes amidst heightened US tariffs doubling the existing levy to a cumulative 50 percent on Indian goods, due to the oil trade with Russia.

At the same time, China is engaging with India in a parallel diplomatic development. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is expected to visit Delhi on August 18, 2025, to hold Special Representative-level talks with India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

This high-level visit is the first from China after heightened India-Pakistan hostilities linked to Operation Sindoor, during which Chinese weapons and drones reportedly aided Pakistan, alongside intelligence support from Beijing.

Both the Jaishankar and Wang visits are scheduled ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China, on August 31-September 1, 2025. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend and hold bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, offering a platform to address border tensions and bilateral relations.

India’s diplomatic approach reflects a careful multi-alignment strategy, maintaining strategic autonomy without aligning strictly against the West. Engagements with Russia and China underline this balance, with India's leadership aiming to proceed cautiously in the complex geopolitical environment shaped by the US-imposed tariff tensions and regional security issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.

The ongoing relations with Russia include discussions on key military deals, such as the supply of S-400 missile systems, Su-30MKI fighter jet upgrades, and procurement of critical military hardware. With China, the focus is on de-escalation and troop reductions along the LAC, where large deployments remain.

These high-profile diplomatic engagements in Moscow and Delhi underscore India's active diplomacy to secure its strategic interests amid strained ties with the US and the evolving security landscape in its neighbourhood.

Agencies