Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to move from an “endless war” towards an end to the fighting in Ukraine, using a bilateral meeting in Kyrgyzstan to deliver one of his clearest public appeals for peace directly to the Russian leader.

Mr Modi and Mr Putin met on Monday on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, where the Indian leader reiterated New Delhi’s support for diplomatic efforts to end the more than four-year conflict.

“Every day spent in war sets humanity back, whereas every step taken towards peace fills humanity with new hope and enthusiasm,” Mr Modi told Mr Putin.

“We must move away from endless war towards an end to the war. This is essential for the well-being of humanity.”

Mr Modi said the two leaders had repeatedly discussed Ukraine and that Mr Putin had previously briefed him on developments surrounding the conflict.

“As you are aware, India supports all peace efforts in this regard, and we shall continue to do so in the future,” Mr Modi said, according to a Kremlin transcript cited by Reuters.

The Indian Prime Minister said disputes needed to be resolved peacefully and invoked two of India’s most internationally recognised figures in making his case.

“A peaceful resolution to all issues at the earliest is the call of humanity, and this is India’s message,” he said.

“The land of Gandhi and Buddha shares a single message: the path of peace.”

India walks diplomatic tightrope over Russia

The comments underline the delicate position India has maintained since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

New Delhi has not joined Western countries in publicly condemning Moscow or imposing sanctions and has maintained close diplomatic, defence and economic ties with Russia.

At the same time, Mr Modi has repeatedly called for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the conflict.

India has also become one of the largest purchasers of Russian oil, alongside China, providing an important market for Moscow as Western governments sought to restrict Russia’s energy revenues through sanctions and other measures.

The relationship has exposed India to criticism from some Western governments, but New Delhi has consistently defended its energy purchases as necessary to protect its economic and energy interests.

Mr Modi again emphasised national interest during his meeting with Mr Putin, while also welcoming the expansion of economic ties between the two countries.

The two leaders discussed trade and investment, energy and other areas of their long-standing strategic relationship. Mr Modi later said energy, innovation, space, fertilisers and people-to-people links remained important areas of cooperation.

Echoes of Modi’s ‘era of war’ message

Monday’s comments build on Mr Modi’s much-publicised message to Mr Putin at the 2022 SCO summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

During that meeting, Mr Modi told the Russian leader that “today’s era is not an era of war”, a comment that attracted international attention at a time when India was facing pressure over its relationship with Moscow.

Four years later, his language in Bishkek was again directed towards ending the fighting.

“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,” Mr Modi said, according to the Kremlin transcript.

“We need to move from endless war to an end to the war, to a cessation of hostilities.”

The statement is notable because it was delivered publicly while Mr Putin was sitting alongside him, rather than through a later diplomatic statement.

Putin says Russia-India ties strengthening

Mr Putin used the meeting to emphasise the strength of Russia’s relationship with India.

He said ties continued to develop on the basis of the two countries’ “special and privileged strategic partnership” and thanked Mr Modi for his attention to the bilateral relationship.

Mr Putin also highlighted his personal relationship with the Indian Prime Minister.

Following the talks, the Kremlin said the Russian President had briefed Mr Modi on developments in what Moscow continues to call its “special military operation” in Ukraine.

Russia has repeatedly said it is prepared to end the conflict if its conditions are met. Ukraine has rejected Moscow’s terms, arguing they would effectively require Kyiv to surrender territory and accept Russian demands.

The two leaders nevertheless demonstrated the continuing warmth of their bilateral relationship.

They greeted each other warmly before the talks and later travelled together to the opening ceremony of the World Nomad Games in Bishkek.

SCO brings major powers together in Bishkek

The meeting took place as leaders from across Eurasia gathered in Kyrgyzstan for the SCO summit.

The grouping includes China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Iran, Belarus and Central Asian states and has increasingly become a platform through which Moscow and Beijing seek greater cooperation among countries outside Western-led institutions.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and other regional leaders were also in Bishkek.

For India, participation presents a complicated diplomatic equation.

New Delhi maintains a decades-old strategic relationship with Russia while simultaneously deepening security and economic cooperation with the United States, Australia and Japan through arrangements including the Quad.

India’s position on Ukraine has therefore centred on maintaining its strategic autonomy while repeatedly advocating negotiations rather than military escalation.

Mr Modi’s latest intervention appears consistent with that approach: maintaining India’s partnership with Moscow while telling Mr Putin directly that the fighting should end.

As the war continues without a comprehensive peace agreement, Mr Modi framed India’s position not in terms of alignment with Russia or the West, but as a broader humanitarian argument.

“We must move away from endless war towards an end to the war,” he said.

“This is essential for the well-being of humanity.”

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