On December 4-5, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin in New Delhi for the 23rd Annual Summit, signing 16 agreements on defense co-production, trade expansion to $100 billion by 2030, energy security, and counter-terrorism amid US tariff pressures. Technology entrepreneur Karl Mehta asserted on December 7 that India’s outreach stems from China’s border encroachments along the LAC, where US support proved rhetorical during Galwan clashes, positioning Russia as the key wedge against a full Moscow-Beijing axis that could encircle India. From New Delhi’s strategic lens, this balancing act—deepening Indo-Pacific ties with Washington while leveraging Moscow’s influence—bolsters deterrence, diversifies arms beyond delayed S-400s, and insulates against Beijing’s aggression in a volatile multipolar order.