Bishkek, Aug. 31 -- Calling for an immediate end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to move from "endless war to the end of war," asserting that a peaceful resolution of the conflict is humanity's shared priority.
In a meeting with Putin on the sidelines of the SCO summit in this capital city of Kyrgyzstan, PM Modi said every day of war sets humanity back and that India, the land of Gandhi and Buddha, supports all efforts towards peace and will continue to do so.
The two leaders also extensively deliberated on ongoing cooperation in areas including trade, investment, and energy and fertiliser security.
"We have been discussing the Ukraine issue. When we met previously, you briefed me in detail on all aspects of the matter. As you know, India supports all efforts towards peace and will continue to do so," Modi said in his televised opening remarks at the meeting.
"Every day of war sets humanity back, whereas every step taken towards peace fills humanity with new hope and enthusiasm. We must move away from endless war towards an end to the war," he said.
"This is crucial for the well-being of humanity. A peaceful resolution to all issues at the earliest is the call of humanity, and this is India's message. The land of Gandhi and Buddha shares a single message: the path of peace," Modi said.
The bilateral with President Putin came a week before he is expected to visit New Delhi to attend the BRICS summit.
PM Modi's comment reinforces his "not the era of war" comment made in 2022 during his meeting with President Putin - again, on the sidelines of the SCO meet - had resonated across the world at the time. The last time Modi and Putin met was in December 2025 when the Russian President visited India on a two-day state visit for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit.
In dialogues with Putin and Ukraine's President Volodimir Zelensky, India has consistently underscored the need for dialogue to resolve the conflict.
"India is an advocate of permanent peace in this region. Our stand is very clear - this is not an era of war. This is the time to come together against those challenges which threaten humanity. Therefore, India believes in diplomacy and dialogues," PM Modi had said in 2022.
"Focusing on national interest as the paramount priority has been our shared approach, and this will remain our guiding principle in the future as well."
Putin, for his part, said Russia-India relations have witnessed an upswing based on the special and privileged partnership. He hailed Modi's efforts towards bringing the two countries together and for paying special attention to the relations of India and Russia.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.