Putin will not go to India to attend the G20 summit in September
Russian President Putin announced on August 28th during a phone call with Indian Prime Minister Modi that the Russian side will be represented by the Foreign Minister at the G20 summit in New Delhi. The two leaders also discussed bilateral relations between Russia and India over the phone.
Putin and Modi discussed the expansion plans of the BRICS countries, as well as the G20 summit to be held in the Indian capital New Delhi in September.
Last week, Indian Prime Minister Modi and Russian President Putin both attended the BRICS summit held in South Africa, but Putin attended the meeting online via video link. On March 17, 2023, the Second Trial Chamber of the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant to Putin, claiming that Putin bears personal criminal responsibility for war crimes committed in Ukraine. The Russian side firmly denies the accusations made by the International Criminal Court.
The Indian government stated in a statement that Putin told Modi that Russia will be represented by Foreign Minister Lavrov at the G20 summit.
The Indian government stated, "The Indian Prime Minister understands the decision made by the Russian side and expresses gratitude to President Putin for maintaining a supportive attitude towards all initiatives during India's presidency of the G20."
After the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out in February 2022, the western countries adopted comprehensive sanctions against Russia. Russia has been seeking to further strengthen its relationship with India, as India is a major buyer of Russian oil.
In a statement, the Russian side said, "The hot issues in Russia India relations have been taken into consideration, and Russia India relations are gradually developing towards an excellent strategic partnership. The positive trend of economic and trade cooperation has been affirmed."