'Now it's our turn': Vladimir Putin accepts Narendra Modi's invitation to visit India

Modi during his last visit to Russia had invited Putin to tour India.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said as quoted by TASS News agency, "(Russian) President Vladimir Putin has accepted an invitation to visit from the Indian head of government. A visit by the Russian head of state to the Republic of India is currently being prepared."

The arrangements are underway, the top Russian diplomat said.

Lavrov has noted that Modi chose India's all-weather geopolitical friend Russia as his first foreign visit after coming to power for the third consecutive term in 2024.

"Now it's our turn," Lavrov said.

This will be Putin's first visit to India since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war.

The two leaders are likely to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war and the geopolitical issues following Donald Trump's return as the US President.

India's stance in the Russia-Ukraine war

Though India has maintained a neutral stance on the war, Prime Minister Modi advocated peace and communicated it to Russia.

During his inaugural visit to the US in February after Donald Trump returned to the White House, Prime Minister Modi asserted India is "not neutral" in the Russia-Ukraine war in contrary to the popular belief but it is in favour of one side, that is "peace".

Modi was one of the few global leaders to visit both Moscow and Kyiv to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy.