Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin will pay an official visit to India in December, the Kremlin said, as ties between the countries grow closer after the United States imposed tariffs on New Delhi over its purchases of Russian oil.

Putin will also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a regional summit in China on Monday. US President Donald Trump has imposed tariffs on Indian goods as punishment for New Delhi's massive purchases of Russian oil, part of a campaign to pressure Moscow into ending its offensive in Ukraine.

Russia is also one of India's top arms suppliers, and the warm ties between the two countries date back to the Soviet era.

Ukraine’s Western allies have sought to cut Russia’s export earnings since Moscow launched its military assault in February 2022.

But Russia has been able to redirect energy sales away from Europe to countries including India and China, ensuring the multi-billion-dollar flow of funds has continued.