Modi and Putin Meet at SCO Summit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. During the bilateral talks, Modi reiterated India's support for efforts to bring the Ukraine conflict to an end, saying that prolonged conflict comes at a cost to humanity.
"Every day spent in war sets humanity back, while every step towards peace brings new hope," Modi said, according to CNBC TV18. He added that India would continue supporting efforts towards peace and called for a resolution to the conflict at the earliest. "A peaceful resolution to all issues at the earliest is the call of humanity, and this is India's message," he said.
Invoking India's tradition of non-violence, Modi said the "land of Gandhi and the land of Buddha" has one message—the path of peace.
Discussions on Bilateral Ties
Beyond Ukraine, the two leaders discussed the broader India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership. Modi said cooperation between the two countries continues to expand and that both sides are working together with their respective national interests as the priority.
"Moving forward with national interest as the paramount priority has been our shared approach," Modi said, adding that the principle would continue to guide the relationship.
Putin, according to a translation of his remarks, said India-Russia ties continued to strengthen on the basis of their "special and privileged partnership." He also thanked Modi for the attention he has given to bilateral relations.
Modi described Putin's visit to India last year as "highly successful and truly memorable." Following the meeting, Modi said in a post on X that the two leaders had held extensive discussions covering the full range of the India-Russia partnership, noting that the relationship had made "significant progress" across several sectors in recent years.
Areas of Cooperation
The leaders discussed cooperation in energy, space, fertilisers, and people-to-people ties, among other areas. According to the Free Press Journal, the talks also covered defence, trade, and major global developments.
India has consistently argued that a lasting solution to the Ukraine conflict cannot emerge from the battlefield and has urged Russia and Ukraine to return to negotiations. Modi's latest message is consistent with his earlier public interventions on the conflict. During his meeting with Putin in 2022, he told the Russian president that "this is not an era of war," urging a return to dialogue.
New Delhi has maintained its independent position on the Russia-Ukraine war while continuing its longstanding strategic and economic partnership with Moscow. India remains a major buyer of Russian crude oil and has deep defence ties with Russia. At the same time, New Delhi has repeatedly highlighted the global consequences of the conflict, particularly its impact on food, fuel, and fertiliser security.