India’s PM Modi urges end to Ukraine war in talks with Russia’s Putin
Al Jazeera
•Mon, 31 Aug 2026 17:42:55 +0000
📰 What Happened
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin during talks at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek that India supports every effort to end the war in Ukraine. The meeting came as Russian strikes on Ukrainian communities, including Myla, continued.
🔍 The Backstory
India has walked a careful line on the Ukraine war, expanding energy and defence ties with Moscow while being courted by the West, and has repeatedly called for dialogue and diplomacy without condemning Russia outright. The SCO summit gave Modi and Putin a face-to-face venue for the discussion.
🎯 Why It Matters
Modi's public push adds Global South weight to calls for a negotiated end to the war, at a time when the West is trying to isolate Moscow. India's stance matters because its relations with both Russia and the West give it rare leverage in the conflict.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin during talks at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek that India supports every effort to end the war in Ukraine. The meeting came as Russian strikes on Ukrainian communities, including Myla, continued.
India has walked a careful line on the Ukraine war, expanding energy and defence ties with Moscow while being courted by the West, and has repeatedly called for dialogue and diplomacy without condemning Russia outright. The SCO summit gave Modi and Putin a face-to-face venue for the discussion.
Modi's public push adds Global South weight to calls for a negotiated end to the war, at a time when the West is trying to isolate Moscow. India's stance matters because its relations with both Russia and the West give it rare leverage in the conflict.