India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reiterated his reluctance to see Moscow’s war on Ukraine at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. At the same time, he emphasized the desire for greater cooperation between India and Russia. “Today is not an era of war,” Modi said today while meeting with Putin on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in central Asian Uzbekistan. Rather, the focus should be on issues such as food, fertilizer and fuel safety.
“I know your position on the conflict in Ukraine and your concerns, which you constantly express,” Putin said, adding: “We are doing everything we can to end this as soon as possible.” Ukraine was accused by the Kremlin boss before not being interested in a negotiated solution.
India, which has close trade ties with Russia, is taking a neutral stance on the war and does not support Western sanctions, for example. At the same time, the country is promoting conflict resolution through dialogue. Recently, India bought more relatively cheap oil from Russia. New Delhi is also heavily dependent on Moscow for military equipment and spare parts.