Newsman: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine for the sake of humanity during a meeting in Kyrgyzstan.
“Every day that the war continues, humanity is, in effect, set back a step, whilst every step towards peace gives all of humanity real hope for peace. We need to move from endless war to an end to the war to cessation of hostilities,” said India Prime Minister Modi.
At a press conference on Monday, before the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Bishkek, Modi called Putin “my friend” and praised significant economic progress between the two countries before switching to the matter of war.
Calling for a peace settlement and invoking Gandhi and Mother Theresa, Modi said India supports all peace efforts, and this is the direction that must be pursued.
“Thank you very much, prime minister. We are moving forward along this path,” Putin responded.
Russia insists that ending the war in Ukraine can only be done on its own terms, something Kyiv has continually rejected. Meanwhile, attacks on Ukraine have intensified in recent days, along with rumors that Moscow is set to mobilize hundreds of thousands of fresh troops and step up ground offensives.
Ukraine has also scaled up its drone strikes, attacking energy infrastructure within Russia, as well as the warehouses of online retailers Wildberries and Ozon.
India is one of the biggest buyers of Russian oil and has also recently stepped up to provide gasoline to Moscow following Ukraine’s attacks on its refineries.
India’s purchases of Russian oil have brought it into conflict with U.S. President Donald Trump, who scrapped a trade deal over the issue in 2025.
“Focus areas for Russia-India friendship remain energy, innovation, space, fertilizers and people-to-people linkages,” Modi said during the meeting.
Putin is expected to attend the BRICS summit in Delhi on Sept. 12 and 13. Modi is expected to meet EU leaders in December.
