India-Russia Su-57, S-400 Deal Soon? Jaishankar, Doval Plan Moscow Trips Amid Trump’s Tariff Tensions

Amid increased tensions with the US amid President Donald Trump’s tariffs and threats on oil trade with Russia, two senior government officials are planning a trip to Moscow soon. External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval are likely to fly to Russia this month.

Last week, US President Trump slapped a 25% tariff on Indian goods in the US along with an undisclosed penalty for buying oil from Russia. However, New Delhi showed no signs of backing down, saying it will continue to purchase oil from Moscow, keeping its ties with Russia steady. India is now planning high level visits to Moscow sometime this month.

While Doval could visit Russia in early part of this month, EAM Jaishankar could take a trip to Russia mid-August, according to an Economic Times report. During Doval’s Moscow visit, he could discuss an expansion of defence industry besides regional situation with his Russian counterpart.

Jaishankar, Doval’s Russia visit: What’s on agenda?

Apart from talks on bolstering bilateral ties between the two economic powers, talks during Jaishankar, Doval’s visit could range from the purchase of Su-57 fighter jets, S-400 defence systems, food security, to New Delhi’s increased presence in the resource rich Arctic region.

Worth mentioning here is that many recent reports have indicated that India wants to buy additional S-400 defence systems which contributed significantly to its success during Operation Sindoor, launch in the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. Additionally, India also plans to have MRO facilities for S-400 here.

Along with the S-400 defence systems, reports also suggested that India is exploring purchase of Su-57 fighter jets from Russia. The ET report further claimed that Jaishankar’s meeting with his counterpart Sergey Lavrov could focus on cooperation in the Arctic region along with increasing Indian exports to Russia.

Have Trump’s tariffs impacted India-Russia ties?

Despite what Trump says or claims, India seems to be in no mood of impairing its ties with Moscow. On oil trade with Russia, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “India and Russia have a steady and time-tested partnership. Our bilateral relationships with various countries stand on their own merit and should not be seen from the prism of a third country.”

Meanwhile, India is set to host the next edition of the annual India-Russia summit this year. The event would see Russian President Vladimir Putin travelling to New Delhi for the first time since 2021.