Follow TNM's WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, September 11, once again told Russian President Vladimir Putin that “dialogue and diplomacy” were the way forward to resolve the conflict in Ukraine. The Prime Minister met his Russian counterpart on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in New Delhi.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, PM Modi said India remained willing to contribute to peace efforts. The two leaders also discussed the Ukraine war and the conflict in West Asia, including their impact on maritime trade.
The conversation came shortly after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s visit to Kyiv, where he said the Ukraine conflict could only be resolved through dialogue, diplomacy and negotiations. India has maintained its engagement with Russia, including its purchases of Russian oil, despite growing pressure from the West.
The safety of shipping in the Black Sea also figured in the Modi-Putin talks. India had raised concerns with both Moscow and Kyiv after attacks on merchant vessels in July killed Indian seafarers. The meeting also covered the wider India-Russia partnership, with discussions spanning defence, energy, trade, industry, space and political cooperation.
After the talks, Modi and Putin travelled together in the Russian president’s armoured Aurus Senat to the INNOPROM India exhibition at Bharat Mandapam. Their shared rides have become a familiar feature of recent meetings, including during Putin’s India visit in December 2025 and their meeting in Bishkek last month.
At the BRICS Business Forum, Putin presented the grouping as an increasingly important force in the global economy, saying its members account for more than 40% of global GDP. He criticised Western sanctions and restrictions on trade, transport and energy infrastructure.
His remarks come as India faces potential US penalties under legislation targeting major buyers of Russian oil and gas, adding another layer of pressure to New Delhi’s ties with Moscow.