Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met President Vladimir Putin in Moscow with the goal of securing what would be his nation’s biggest weapons deal with Russia since 2001, strengthening military ties dating back to the Soviet era against newer suppliers like the U.S. Modi and Putin hailed what they termed a “strategic partnership” at their Kremlin meeting on Thursday and pledged to boost business ties, with the Indian leader signaling progress on defense projects to ensure his country upgrades its weapons capability. “As I look to the future, I see Russia as a significant partner in India’s economic transformation and in shaping a balanced, inclusive and a multi-polar world,” Modi told reporters. Winning a significant slice of the $150 billion that Modi plans to spend to upgrade his military could be a welcome diversion for Putin, who’s bracing for a second year of recession amid Western sanctions and low […]