Modi tells ‘friend’ Putin to end the war, and Putin says Russia is moving that way

Narendra Modi called Vladimir Putin “my friend” and told him that Russia must move from an “endless war” toward an end to the fighting in Ukraine. Putin’s reply was brief: Russia was already moving in that direction, without offering details about how or when.

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India supports all efforts for peace related to this issue and will continue to do so.

The exchange took place on Aug. 31 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit. Modi said India supported all efforts aimed at peace and would continue to do so. He also warned that every day of war set humanity back, while each step toward peace offered a real hope of peace for everyone.

According to a Kremlin transcript, Modi urged the two sides to move beyond the continuation of war and toward ending hostilities. His comments reflected India’s stated position since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022: New Delhi has called for an end to the war and a diplomatic solution, while preserving its economic relationship with Moscow.

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We have to move from an endless war to an end to the war.

India sharply increased its purchases of Russian crude oil after Western sanctions, making Russia one of its major energy suppliers. Modi later said on X that the leaders discussed progress in several areas of India-Russia cooperation, including energy, innovation, space, fertilisers and people-to-people ties.

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We are moving in that direction.

Modi also met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. He described the meeting as the first between the two leaders since the United States and Israel began a war against Iran, and said India wanted to strengthen long-standing ties with Tehran while expanding and diversifying trade.

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Every day that the war continues, humanity in effect takes a step backward, but every step toward peace gives all humanity real hope for peace.