This Week in Explainers: From Musketeers to ‘poop suitcase’, how Putin is protected

It’s been 25 years since India and Russia inked a strategic partnership. It was marked by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s two-day visit (December 4-5) to New Delhi. The ties between the two countries have only strengthened over the years, despite geopolitical pressures. Now, PM Modi and Putin are doing all they can to upgrade this relationship.

The two leaders share a strong bond. Their bonhomie was on display as Modi went to receive the Russian leader when Delhi’s Palam airport, and the two carpooled together, breaking protocol.

On Day 2 of the visit, Putin and Modi got to business. At the India-Russia summit, the leaders got a lot done, signing several agreements, including the labour mobility pact, a programme for developing strategic areas of economic cooperation until 2030, and a lot more.

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Here is a roundup of the Putin visit and its significance.

1. India rolled out the red carpet for President Putin. Modi welcomed him at the Palam airport with a handshake and a warm embrace. It is not every day that the prime minister receives a foreign dignitary. Here’s why the gesture is so rare.

2. PM Modi and President Putin held talks at the 23rd annual India-Russia summit in Delhi on Friday (December 5). The focus was to take the relationship between the two nations to the next level, and they succeeded. They signed 16 pacts in the areas of labour mobility, nuclear energy, trade and defence. Moscow also renewed its commitment to ship fuel to India to help boost the country’s economy. Here are the takeaways from the Modi-Putin summit.

3. India and Russia have only become closer with Putin’s State visit. From jobs and migration to education and medicine, training, healthcare, food safety and fertiliser, the two nations will collaborate more with an eye on the future. Here’s how.

5. One of the key pacts signed during the visit was the labour mobility agreement. The “Temporary Labour Activity of Citizens of one State in the Territory of the other State” aims to encourage the migration of skilled Indian workers to labour-intensive sectors in Russia, such as construction, agriculture and IT-enabled services. It is a win-win for both countries.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi attend the India-Russia Business Forum in New Delhi, India, on December 5. Putin was on a two-day State visit to India, his first since 2022. Reuters

4. With Putin’s visit, Ukraine was in the spotlight once again. When he met Modi, the war came up for discussion. The Russian president did not divulge much, but said that he spoke in “detail on the situation” and on talks with the US towards a “possible peaceful settlement of the crisis”. PM Modi made a powerful statement. “India is not neutral, India is on the side of peace”. Here is how the Indian leader has successfully navigated the Russia-Ukraine problem since the war began on February 24, 2022.

5. Defence has been a big part of the relationship between the two countries. Russia has been one of the top suppliers of weapons to India for decades, starting with the MiG-21 in the 1950s. More recently, the S-400 was used in Operation Sindoor against Pakistan. We explore how arms have united the two allies.

Russia's S-400 air defence missile system units drive past a guard of honour during a military parade in Red Square in central Moscow, Russia. India has the S-400, and it has given the country regional air dominance. File photo/Reuters

6. There is so much we know about Putin, and so much we don’t. He is known worldwide as a strongman. But the Russian president has a “softie” side to him. Reports suggest that he is ‘obsessed’ with ice cream. What else does he like to eat? And where is food delivered from? This report tells you more.

7. Putin is one of the world’s most guarded leaders. He travels in the ‘Flying Kremlin”, which is Russia’s answer to Air Force One. He is protected by bodyguards who call themselves “Mukseteers”. On a foreign visit, personal chefs and food tasters accompany him, and his security team carries a “poop suitcase” to ensure that his waste is not left behind. Here is the inside story of Putin’s security ring.

8. Putin’s hectic 27-hour visit concluded with a State Dinner hosted by President Droupadi Murmu. He was served a lavish meal at Rashtrapati Bhavan. On the menu were Indian delicacies – jhol momo, achaari baingan, saffron pulao, badam halwa and more. Modi and Putin were sitting side by side. Adding magic to the evening was the music – both from India and Russia, Bollywood and Tchaikovsky. Here’s a sneak peek.

Putin gives a speech during a State dinner hosted for him by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Image courtesy: @rashtrapatibhvn/X

All in all, the summit was a great success, and the Putin-Modi bonhomie was on display, as the world watched. You will find our complete coverage on the visit here.

We’ll be back with another reading list for you next week. Until then, you can find our explainers here.