Modi-Putin Meet: India's Got Russia's Back in Latest Standoff With the West

New Delhi (Sputnik) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's one-day visit to Sochi is set to convey India's commitment towards Russia on the recent stand-off with Western countries on almost every issue, including that of the Salisbury case. Prime Minister Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to meet for 4-6 hours on May 21 wherein both leaders will exchange views on the geopolitical situation arising out after Donald Trump's policy on Iran and North Korea.

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A highly placed official of India's Ministry of External Affairs told Sputnik that India has made it amply clear that it is standing by Russia over the Salisbury case of chemical poisoning of two Russians in the UK. That is why New Delhi asked for evidence from the US and European countries before "apportioning blame," the official said, while agreeing that Russia has been India's reliable and trusted partner and it will not allow any other country to affect India's defense interest.

"We are not going to allow our defense requirement to be dictated by any other country. We have conveyed this to the Capitol Hill. Russia has been a reliable and trusted partner," the official said, referring to the US' twin actions of passing the CAATSA law that threatens to derail India's planned purchases of defense equipment worth $12 billion from Russia.

Other than the Sochi meeting, Modi and Putin would also be meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's annual meet in China in June this year, followed by the BRICS summit in South Africa in July, the Indo-Russia annual summit in October and the G-20 summit in Argentina in November.