Putin wants to show that he is not isolated. He has recently been meeting more frequently with other heads of state – including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for tea at his Novo-Ogaryevo residence near Moscow. According to the state agency Tass, the Russian president and the Indian head of government agreed to discuss various topics first informally. They do not want to speak officially until Tuesday.

The welcome between the two was quite warm, as reported by “Spiegel”. Putin is said to have greeted Modi as “my friend”. Then he thanked him for the “invitation to come home”. They then hugged and walked through the park. While Putin spoke, the Indian prime minister listened, according to “Spiegel”.

The message from the images is clear: Even after nearly two and a half years of aggressive warfare in Ukraine, Russia remains isolated, or at least it appears so. Other meetings over the past few days and weeks have also served this purpose. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán – also President of the Council of the European Union – visited Putin in Moscow on Friday. You can read more about that here.

Orbán and Modi’s visits are not the only foreign policy successes of the Kremlin leader. In May and June, Putin was a guest in China, North Korea, Vietnam, and last week in Kazakhstan. According to “Spiegel”, the meeting with Modi stands out among the others. Unlike the countries mentioned above, India is not an opponent of the West, but a democratic partner.

According to the Kremlin, Russia's invasion of Ukraine will also be discussed during Modi's official visit. “We are trying to play a supporting role for a peaceful and stable region,” Modi said, according to the ntv television channel.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was disappointed with the meeting between Putin and Modi. He wrote on the instant messaging platform

This will be of interest to Western observers, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier, given that Modi did not attend a peace summit in Switzerland initiated by Ukraine in June, irritating Kiev.

So far, India has remained neutral in the Ukraine war. Relations with the West and Russia will continue to be maintained. Modi has also been invited to a meeting of the BRICS countries – which Russia will host in the fall. The BRICS countries include Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

India is increasingly trading with the raw material power and is now a major buyer of Russian oil. Moscow media have reported in recent days that Modi's post-re-election trip is a sign of special respect for India's ties with Russia. Russia is a major energy supplier to India.

After meeting Putin, Modi is set to travel to Austria, the first visit by an Indian prime minister to the European country in more than 40 years.