NSA Ajit Doval to leave for Russia today to discuss trade, security; Jaishankar later | Latest News India

NEW DELHI: National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and external affairs minister S Jaishankar are set to visit Russia this month for meetings with top Russian officials aimed at bolstering security, economic and energy ties against the backdrop of US threats of punitive tariffs over trade between New Delhi and Moscow.

Doval will travel to Moscow on Wednesday for meetings with senior Russian officials on Thursday, according to people familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The trip, which was previously scheduled, has gained significance due to US President Donald Trump’s warning this week that he will “very substantially” increase the 25% tariff imposed on India for purchasing Russian oil.

The visit has not been formally announced by India or Russia. The people did not rule out the possibility of a meeting between Doval and Russian President Vladimir Putin. India’s purchases of oil from Russia, which is now one of the country’s main energy suppliers, are expected to figure in the meetings in Moscow, the people said.

Russia’s state-run TASS news agency quoted a source as saying that the “escalation of the geopolitical situation” and “pressing matters” such as the supply of Russian oil to India will be discussed at Doval’s meetings.

The people said other issues expected to come up during the discussions include the supply of the two remaining S-400 air defence batteries out of five ordered by India and the situation in Afghanistan, including Moscow’s recent decision to recognise the Taliban set-up in Kabul.

Jaishankar is expected to travel to Russia in the third week of August for a scheduled meeting of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC), the main mechanism for overseeing trade and economic cooperation. India hosted the last meeting of the body in November 2024, and it is Russia’s turn to hold the meeting.

Given that the commission is responsible for handling all trade-related matters, the people said the issue of energy purchases and the US threat of punitive levies is expected to figure at the upcoming meeting.

Doval’s meetings in Moscow will take place a day after Putin meets US presidential special envoy Steve Witkoff, who arrived in Russia on Wednesday to make a fresh push for a ceasefire in Ukraine. Trump has said Russia will face sanctions if it does not act to end the war with Ukraine by August 8.

Over the past few days, Trump has railed against India and Russia, especially their energy trade and military ties, on social media. He claimed in a social media post on Monday that India was buying “massive amounts” of Russian oil and profiting by selling much of the crude on the open market. “They don’t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine,” he said.

Despite the external affairs ministry describing the targeting of India through sanctions by the US and the European Union as “unjustified and unreasonable”, Trump doubled down on his threats in an interview with CNBC on Tuesday. While reiterating his description of India as the “highest tariff nation”, Trump said, “So we settled on 25% [tariff] but I think I’m going to raise that very substantially over the next 24 hours, because they’re buying Russian oil, they’re fuelling the war machine.”

With Trump’s reciprocal tariff set to take effect on August 7, the Indian government has said that it will take all necessary measures to safeguard national interests and economic security.