Modi to Meet Putin in Bishkek Next Week, First Face-to-Face Since December as India Locks In Russian Energy and Fertilizer Supply

Since Jaishankar's Moscow meeting with Putin earlier this month locked in fresh Russian promises on fertilizer and energy, the next step in that relationship is now on the calendar. India's Ministry of External Affairs confirmed Thursday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Uzbekistan and the Kyrgyz Republic from August 29 to September 1, with a bilateral meeting with Vladimir Putin set for the sidelines of the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek.

This will be Modi and Putin's first face-to-face since December 2025, according to Inshorts. The two leaders will meet on the margins of a summit, not in a dedicated bilateral visit, but MEA Secretary (West) Sibi George told reporters the meeting is locked into the schedule. "A meeting is scheduled between the leaders of India and Russia on the sidelines of the summit," George said, according to News18. "Both sides are expected to review the entire gamut of the bilateral relationship."

The Trip, Step by Step

Modi leaves first for Tashkent, spending August 29-30 in Uzbekistan at the invitation of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. It's his fourth visit to the country and second bilateral trip there, George said. The agenda covers trade, defense, digital connectivity, energy, education and critical minerals, according to the Times of India. India is already among Uzbekistan's top 10 trading partners, with combined trade and investment near $1 billion, George said.

From Tashkent, Modi travels to Bishkek for the SCO summit itself, running August 31 to September 1, hosted by Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov. The program includes a welcome dinner on August 31 and the summit plenary the next day, where Modi will speak, George told reporters per News18. Modi is also expected to attend the opening ceremony of the Sixth World Nomad Games in Bishkek alongside other SCO leaders.

Why the Putin Meeting Matters More Than the Summit Itself

For Washington, the SCO plenary takes a back seat to what Modi and Putin discuss on the sidelines.

Jaishankar's recent trip to Moscow set the table. During that visit, Putin told the Indian foreign minister that Russia would keep supplying India with energy and fertilizer despite disruptions tied to the conflict in the Middle East, according to Hindustan Times. Putin specifically flagged fertilizer as a priority. "We are doing everything to resolve this issue for Indian farmers, for agriculture. We are increasing these supplies and are ready to do so further," Putin said, per Hindustan Times.

Putin also told Jaishankar that India-Russia trade rose in 2026 after a slight dip in 2025, and he said he hoped to meet Modi personally at the SCO summit, according to pragativadi. He asked Jaishankar to pass along his best wishes to Modi. That message has now translated into a confirmed meeting.

For India, the stakes are straightforward: energy security and fertilizer supply for a farm sector that feeds over a billion people. Cheap Russian crude has been a pillar of India's energy strategy for years, and continued fertilizer shipments matter directly to Indian agriculture heading into planting seasons. Putin's specific commitment to increase those shipments gives Modi something concrete to point to at home.

The Political Backdrop Washington Can't Ignore

None of this is happening in a vacuum. The Trump administration has pushed India hard to cut its Russian oil purchases, and tariff pressure on New Delhi has been a live issue for months. A Modi-Putin meeting, timed right after Russia reaffirmed energy and fertilizer commitments, is India signaling it isn't ready to walk away from Moscow just because Washington wants it to.

India has consistently defended its right to buy discounted Russian crude on national-interest grounds. The question is whether Washington's leverage over India's Russia policy can hold against tariff pressure, given that energy and food-security decisions have long been central to New Delhi's calculations.

This is the first confirmed date and venue for a Modi-Putin sit-down since December 2025. It follows directly from Jaishankar's Moscow trip and Putin's fertilizer and energy pledges, giving the meeting a concrete economic agenda rather than just ceremonial optics. MEA officials have not detailed what, if anything, will be signed or announced coming out of the Bishkek meeting.

What remains unresolved: whether the meeting produces any formal agreement on fertilizer volumes or energy pricing, and how Washington responds if Modi and Putin emerge with a public reaffirmation of deepening trade ties. The SCO summit runs August 31 to September 1. The Modi-Putin meeting will happen somewhere inside that window, and neither government has released a precise time.