As the war in Ukraine approaches its ninth month, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin today (September 16, 2022) that it was “not a time for war”.
As the two leaders began their first face-to-face encounter since the Russia-Ukraine war started, PM Modi told Putin in Samarkand, “Excellency, I know today’s time is not a time for war”, NDTV reported.
Following Putin’s admission that China, Russia’s main ally, has “concerns” about the crisis in Ukraine, PM Modi made his remarks.
Read: Vladimir Putin invites PM Modi to visit Russia in 2022
Putin explained to the Indian Prime Minister that he wanted the war in Ukraine, which started in February, to end as soon as possible and that he recognised India’s worries.
Putin told Modi: “I know your position on the conflict in Ukraine, your concerns.... We will do our best to end this as soon as possible,” the NDTV report added.
On the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, Modi and Putin spoke about bilateral, regional, and international matters.
Read: Over phone, Prime Minister Modi & Putin talk way forward on ties
India has not condemned Russia for invading Ukraine. New Delhi has pushed for a diplomatic solution to the problem.
Since the end of the Cold War, New Delhi and Moscow have had a close relationship, and Russia continues to be India’s primary arms supplier.
Despite Putin’s admission that Beijing has “concerns” about the situation in Ukraine, Chinese President Xi Jinping stated on Thursday that Beijing was eager to cooperate with Russia to advance “each other’s basic interests”.
Read: Modi vows to bolster ties with Europe amid Ukraine crisis