Bishkek, Aug 31: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek on Monday, reaffirming India’s support for all peaceful efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict and stressing the urgent need to end hostilities.

“Every day of war sets humanity back, whereas every step towards peace fills humanity with new hope and enthusiasm,” Modi said, calling for a shift from “endless wars” towards an end to the conflict.
He emphasised that a peaceful resolution of all outstanding issues at the earliest was essential for the well-being of humanity. Referring to India’s civilisational message of peace, Modi said he carried a message from the land of Mahatma Gandhi and Gautam Buddha.
The nearly 30-minute meeting began on a warm note, with Modi and Putin exchanging a handshake and embracing before the talks. The two leaders reviewed the broad trajectory of India-Russia relations, with discussions expected to cover trade, investment, energy and defence cooperation.
Modi said Putin’s previous visit to India had been successful and had helped take bilateral economic ties to a new level. He noted that officials from both countries had remained engaged in implementing the decisions taken during the visit.
Putin, meanwhile, said India-Russia relations were continuing to strengthen, attributing the close partnership in part to Modi’s personal attention. Tourist exchanges between the two countries also recorded a 16 per cent increase in 2025, reflecting growing people-to-people ties.
The meeting assumes significance ahead of Putin’s upcoming visit to India for the annual BRICS summit. Modi said Indians were eagerly looking forward to welcoming the Russian President, adding that his visit would further reinforce the longstanding relationship between New Delhi and Moscow.
The two sides are expected to maintain focus on traditional pillars of bilateral cooperation, particularly defence, energy, trade and investment, while exploring avenues for expanding economic engagement.
The leaders also continued their informal tradition of travelling together by car. After similar moments at the SCO Summit in Tianjin and Putin’s India visit in 2025, Modi and Putin once again travelled together in Bishkek to watch the World Nomad Games, adding a personal dimension to their diplomatic engagement.
The meeting underscored India’s continuing emphasis on dialogue and diplomacy in addressing global conflicts, alongside its efforts to deepen its strategic partnership with Russia.