Hyderabad: Russian President Vladimir Putin is arriving in India today, Thursday, December 4, 2025, to attend the 23rd India-Russia Summit. This is a two-day visit. During this visit, he will hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and will also sign several business deals.
The friendship between India and Russia is very old. There have been many occasions when both countries have supported each other equally. Both countries leave no stone unturned to strengthen their mutual relations. Therefore, it is important to know who Putin is. Let’s find out in detail. He has been in power for the last 25 years.
A man who has been in power in Russia for nearly 25 years is Vladimir Putin. He has been in the headlines even before coming to power. Born on October 7, 1952, Putin spent his childhood in a cramped communal apartment in Leningrad. He describes his childhood as very “ordinary.” After the war, his father left the army and became a factory foreman. He remembers his mother, Maria, as a gentle and humble woman. She fed the family simple meals and supplemented the income by baking on Sundays. He was a playful child during his school days.
Putin said that he was more playful than the average student. Yet, a teacher saw great potential in his energy and good character. Driven by this passion, he studied law. His dream was to join the KGB, the Soviet Union’s primary intelligence agency. He inquired about how to join the KGB and was told that it required a degree first. He did so. He worked in East Germany until 1985, where he became a lieutenant colonel. Putin married in 1983. He has two daughters. He became a fan of Indian cuisine.
He began his political career by managing foreign economic relations in St. Petersburg. His colleagues say that during this time, he came into contact with India regarding debt matters and became a fan of Indian cuisine. He then moved to Moscow, where he rose rapidly. In a Russia grappling with political chaos, the war in Chechnya, and economic instability, Putin first became head of the Federal Security Service, then Prime Minister, and then, on December 31, 1999, Acting President.
Left the presidency in 2008
Putin won the 2000 and 2004 elections, promising order, a strong pension system, and industrial development. Due to term limits, he was forced to step down in 2008. He then changed his position and became the country’s Prime Minister. During this period, the presidential term was extended to six years. Putin again became President in 2012 and 2018. According to statistics, his public support increased significantly after the 2014 annexation of Crimea. In 2020, constitutional changes were approved, allowing him to contest two more six-year terms. Strategic Partnership with Former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Then came February 2022, when Putin announced a “special military operation” against Ukraine. Internal Russian surveys claim that this move received overwhelming support, despite Western sanctions. Throughout his tenure, Putin consistently worked hard on certain issues: major government projects, social support, and stability through long-term national plans. Throughout, he continued to prioritize India. He once said that Russian leaders underestimated India’s importance. During his first visit to India as President, he established a strategic partnership with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. That partnership has now evolved into a “special and privileged strategic partnership” between the two countries.
