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India is for peace, PM Modi tells ‘friend’ Putin again
PM Modi’s remarks at the summit were a reiteration of India’s stated position that Russia and Ukraine should end hostilities
The Russia-Ukraine conflict should be resolved in a peaceful manner, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday while reiterating New Delhi’s readiness to provide all possible cooperation to end the war.
Modi made the remarks at a bilateral meeting with Putin on the margins of the Brics Summit in the Russian city of Kazan, their second interaction since July. Besides the conflict with Ukraine, issues such as bilateral cooperation in defence, trade and investment, and the expansion of the Brics grouping figured in the meeting.
Putin and Modi also engaged in banter that pointed to their close relationship. Putin said: “We have such a relationship that I felt you do not need any translation... I am very grateful to you for accepting the invitation to come to Kazan.” Modi responded by saying that his two visits to Russia in three months “reflect our close coordination and deep friendship”.
In his opening remarks at the meeting, Modi pointed to the need for a peaceful resolution of the Russia-Ukraine war. “We have been in constant touch on the issue of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. As I have said earlier, we believe that problems should be resolved only through peaceful means,” he said, speaking in Hindi.
“We fully support the restoration of peace and stability as soon as possible. All our efforts give priority to humanity. In the coming days too, India is ready to provide all possible cooperation [for such efforts].”
Modi’s remarks were a reiteration of India’s stated position that Russia and Ukraine should end hostilities and return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy to find a solution to the conflict. During the annual India-Russia Summit in Moscow in July, Modi told Putin that peace talks can’t succeed under the shadow of the gun and solution can’t be found on the battlefield.
At a subsequent visit to Kyiv in August, Modi told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that a solution to the conflict can’t be found without engaging Russia.
People familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity that the meeting in Kazan was an opportunity for the Indian side to pass on further messages from the Ukrainian side following several contacts between senior Indian and Ukrainian officials in the past few weeks.
Foreign secretary Vikram Misri told reporters that Modi had briefed Putin on his engagements with the Ukrainian leadership and reiterated that India “stood ready to contribute in bringing peace to the region”. Putin, Misri added, appreciated the role that India is playing and promised to stay in touch with Modi in connection with these efforts.
“There was a considerable amount of discussion on [the Ukraine conflict]. The prime minister reiterated his views and his understanding that war and conflict...and the battlefield would not yield any solutions,” Misri said.
“There was a need for direct engagement between the parties most directly involved in the conflict, but also that India stood ready to aid and assist in any manner possible,” he said.
India’s contacts with the key actors in the conflict are aimed at gauging the “possibility of finding a peaceful path to end the conflict and also perhaps look for alternative approaches that may not currently be on the table or may not be currently under examination” by Russia and Ukraine, Misri said. “We will continue to stay in touch with all parties given that we are among the few interlocutors that have the comfort and ability to...speak with actors on all sides of the conflict,” he added.
When Putin was asked about potential mediation by India to resolve the conflict with Ukraine at an interaction with reporters from Brics states last week, he said Russia will be happy to collaborate with “friends whom we totally trust” on this matter.
“In this case, I mean Prime Minister Modi. Yes, I know that during each telephone conversation with me, he raises this issue and offers his insights about it. I am grateful to him for that and welcome it.”
Another important issue that came up at the meeting was the release and repatriation of Indian nationals serving in the Russian Army. “The [Indian] embassy is pursuing 20 cases with the Russian side and we very much hope that all of these individuals can be released at an early date and repatriated to India very soon,” Misri said.
While at least nine Indians were killed fighting with Russian military units on the frontlines of the conflict with Ukraine, another 85 have been discharged and returned to India.
The two sides expressed satisfaction at ongoing defence cooperation, and agreed to hold the next meeting of the Inter-Governmental Commission (IGC) on defence cooperation in Moscow at an early date. India will host the next session of the IGC on trade, technical, economic and cultural cooperation in New Delhi on Nov 12.
The two sides also discussed cooperation in the economic and financial sectors, and sustaining supply chains for the “steady and regular sourcing of fertilisers and coal from Russia”, and Putin promised assistance in this regard, Misri said. In the field of civil nuclear cooperation, India’s Department of Atomic Energy and Russia’s Rosatom will cooperate to adhere to the schedule for installation of three remaining units of the Kudankulam atomic power plant.
During the meeting, Modi also told Putin that the annual summit in Moscow in July “strengthened our cooperation in every sector”. The opening of a new Indian consulate in Kazan will further strengthen these ties, he said.
The opening of a new Indian consulate in Kazan will further strengthen these ties, Modi said.
Brics has established its unique identity over 15 years and many countries now want to join the grouping, Modi noted. Putin said several decisions will be made during the summit in Kazan to enhance the efficiency of efforts by Brics.
“We value our cooperation on this track, considering that our nations were instrumental in founding the association,” Putin said. He also noted the “good state” of trade ties between Russia and India.
Following the meeting, Modi said on X: “Had an excellent meeting with President Putin. The bond between India and Russia is deep-rooted. Our talks focussed on how to add even more vigour to our bilateral partnership across diverse sectors.”
