Bishkek, Sept 1:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to help move the Russia-Ukraine conflict from an “endless war” towards an “end of war”, reiterating India’s call for diplomacy and dialogue to resolve the conflict.
Modi made the remarks after holding bilateral talks with Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Monday.
“Every day of war sets humanity back,” Modi said, stressing that India, as the land of Mahatma Gandhi and Gautama Buddha, has consistently advocated peace.
The Prime Minister said India had maintained from the beginning that differences and disputes should be resolved through dialogue and peaceful means. He noted that New Delhi had conveyed the same message in its engagements with both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Modi’s latest remarks build on his earlier position that the Ukraine conflict cannot be resolved on the battlefield.
In September 2022, during his meeting with Putin in Samarkand, Modi had told the Russian President that “this is not an era of war”. During his July 2024 visit to Moscow, he again stressed that peace talks could not succeed amid bombs, guns and bullets.
The latest meeting comes more than four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and amid continuing efforts by several countries to find a diplomatic route towards ending the conflict.
India has maintained strategic ties with Russia while also developing closer relations with Western countries. New Delhi has repeatedly avoided taking sides in the conflict and instead emphasised dialogue, diplomacy and respect for sovereignty.
The meeting between Modi and Putin also focused on strengthening the India-Russia “Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership”.
The two leaders agreed to remain engaged to further strengthen bilateral ties despite continuing geopolitical uncertainties.
Putin is also expected to travel to New Delhi for the BRICS summit, providing another opportunity for the two leaders to discuss the Ukraine conflict as well as bilateral cooperation.
Modi’s renewed call for an end to the war underlines India’s attempt to maintain its diplomatic role while urging Moscow and Kyiv to return to negotiations.