India, Dec. 9 -- President Vladimir Putin has returned to Moscow very satisfied by his whirlwind 30-hour State visit to India. Incorporating the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit, it stood out for its symbolism and substance, and injected fresh momentum into the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership that uniquely defines India-Russia relations.

Discussions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Putin were warm and candid, reflecting a quarter century of personal rapport and mutual respect. Putin candidly briefed Modi on the Ukraine peace push since the Alaska summit last August, led principally by Washington and Moscow. Having met President Donald Trump's Special Envoy in Moscow shortly before arriving in India, Putin sh...