Modi tells Putin Ukraine war must end for the good of humanity

Narendra Modi told Vladimir Putin that the war in Ukraine should end “for the good of humanity,” placing a call for peace alongside India’s expanding economic ties with Russia.

The Indian prime minister made the remarks as he opened talks with Putin in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit. He addressed the Russian president as “my friend” and said growing economic relations between the two countries were driven by the need to protect their mutual interests.

According to a transcript published by the Kremlin, Modi said India supported every peace effort concerning the war and would continue to do so. He added that each day of fighting represented a step backward for humanity, while every step toward peace offered hope. Modi called for a move from “endless war” to an end to the war and a halt in hostilities.

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As you know, India supports all peace efforts on this issue and we will continue to do so in the future.

The Kremlin later said Putin briefed Modi on the progress of what Moscow calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine, according to the state-run TASS news agency. Moscow has repeatedly said it is prepared to end the war only on its own terms, while Ukraine has rejected those terms as unacceptable.

India and China rank among the biggest buyers of Russian oil. Those purchases have helped strengthen Russia’s budget since Moscow sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in 2022 and faced broad Western sanctions. Modi has previously expressed support for a peaceful solution to the conflict.

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Every day that the war continues, humanity is essentially taking a step backward, while every step toward peace gives all of humanity real hope for peace. We must move from endless war to the end of the war, to a halt in hostilities. And we must move precisely in that direction.