Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on Monday for an end to the war in Ukraine during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, held in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. Modi stated that "we must move from endless war to the end of the war, an essential step for the well-being of humanity," emphasizing that a peaceful solution is humanity's call and India's message.
In the meeting, Putin highlighted bilateral cooperation with India, which is being reinforced based on the principles of a special privileged strategic partnership. The Russian leader thanked Modi for the friendly relations between the two countries and noted that trade grew 2.6% in the first half of the year and tourism 16% in 2025. Modi also expressed his conviction that Putin's presence at the BRICS summit in New Delhi in two weeks will further strengthen bilateral relations.
Due to the war, started in February 2022 with Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and the sanctions applied by the West to Moscow, India became Russia's main oil importer. Russia, in turn, started importing gasoline from India to face the internal fuel shortage caused by Ukrainian attacks on its refineries.
The Ukrainian issue was only briefly discussed in another meeting of Putin, this time with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. Dozens of political leaders are expected at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, which encompasses countries such as China, Russia, Pakistan, India, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. Russia intensified its bombings in Ukraine in recent weeks, in response to Ukrainian aerial attacks on Russian territory.
