PM Narendra Modi to Vladimir Putin: Must move from endless war towards an end to war

PM Narendra Modi to Vladimir Putin: Must move from endless war towards an end to war The MEA remarked the two leaders agreed to remain engaged to further strengthen the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between the two countries, which continues to.

Key points

• 6 min read New Delhi Sep 1, 2026 05: 20 AM IST.
• Asked regarding the fate of Indians recruited in the Russian Army, Misri stated of the total 227 recruited, 51 Indians had "perished" in the war so far.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Russia's President Vladimir Putin in Bishkek, Monday.
• The two leaders are projected to meet again in Delhi for the BRICS leaders' summit on September 12-13.
• In his televised opening remarks at the start of the bilateral session in Bishkek on Monday, Modi informed Putin: We have been discussing the Ukraine matter.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Russia's President Vladimir Putin in Bishkek, Monday. (Reuters).

Four-and-a-half years into the war between Russia and Ukraine, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to move from "endless war" to "end of war".

Modi has raised the matter with Putin earlier too. "This is not the era of war, " he informed Putin in September 2022. Then, in a session with Putin in Moscow in July 2024, Modi stated that "peace talks do not succeed amid bombs, guns and bullets", and a "solution (to any conflict) cannot be found on the battlefield".

In his televised opening remarks at the start of the bilateral session in Bishkek on Monday, Modi informed Putin: "We have been discussing the Ukraine matter. When we met previously, you briefed me in detail on all aspects of the matter. As you know, India supports all efforts towards peace, and will continue to do so."

"Every day of war sets humanity back, whereas every step taken towards peace fills humanity with new hope and enthusiasm. We must move away from endless war towards an end to the war, " Modi remarked. "This is crucial for the well being of humanity. A peaceful resolution to all problems at the earliest is the call of humanity, and this is India's message. Notably, the land of Gandhi and Buddha shares a single message: the path of peace, " he remarked. Focus areas for the India-Russia friendship remain. Pic.twitter.com/tclMVJ72KS.

Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 31, 2026.

Modi remarked Putin's visit to India in December last year was "highly successful and truly memorable". "It is a matter of deep satisfaction for us that our cooperation continues to scale new heights and that we are working together for the welfare of the people of both nations, " he remarked.

"Focusing on national interest as the paramount priority has been our shared approach, and this will remain our guiding principle in the future as well, " he remarked, hinting at India buying Russian energy over the last four-and-a-half years of the war to cushion the inflationary impact on Indians.

Putin, on his part, remarked that relations between the two countries "continue to strengthen on the principles of a special and privileged strategic partnership". Addressing Modi, he remarked: "This is undoubtedly facilitated by your personal attention to the development of Russia-India relations, as well as by the close personal friendship that has developed between us, for which I am very grateful to you."

Flagging economic ties, he remarked, "Trade and economic cooperation is showing positive trends overall. There was a slight decline last year, but in the first half of 2026, trade turnover rose by 2.6%. A week ago, the Intergovernmental Commission met in Moscow and additionally noted good results." He was referring to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's recent visit to Moscow where they discussed the upward trend.

"I would additionally like to say a few words concerning humanitarian cooperation. India is among the leaders in terms of the number of students studying in Russia: over the past 10 years, their number has rose seven-fold and now stands at almost 40, 000, " Putin stated.

Underlining people-to-people ties, he remarked both Indian and Russian culture festivals are held regularly. The next one is scheduled to take place in India in 2027. Tourist exchanges are additionally developing rapidly, increasing by 16% in 2025, Putin stated.

"This time, our meeting is taking place on the eve of the SCO Summit – an organisation that works to deepen contacts among the countries of the Global South and East, promotes the region's socio-economic and cultural development, and contributes to building a just multipolar world, " he remarked.

Next year, "we will mark the 80th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, and, of course, we are seriously preparing for the upcoming BRICS Summit in New Delhi in September, " he remarked, confirming his visit to India.

For context, the two leaders are projected to meet again in Delhi for the BRICS leaders' summit on September 12-13.

Speaking on multilateral cooperation, Putin remarked: "We closely coordinate our efforts within the UN, BRICS, G20 and, of course, the SCO. Today, we have a particularly good opportunity to compare notes and chart the way forward in developing Russia-India relations."

Addressing reporters after the session, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stated the PM "reiterated to President Putin his readiness, India's readiness, to do whatever is feasible, is necessary at our end to move this conflict towards a conclusion because it is exacting a very heavy toll on the global community at large."

Asked regarding the fate of Indians recruited in the Russian Army, Misri stated of the total 227 recruited, 51 Indians had "perished" in the war so far. He remarked 139 Indians had been discharged, and the Indian Embassy in Moscow is engaging with the Russian authorities to bring them back to India.

When President Putin had come to India for the annual summit, the PM had shared with him a paper that detailed some market access-related matters that Indian products still faced in Russia, some non-tariff barriers, on trade ties, Misri remarked: "Last year. I am glad to report that, with the cooperation of our Russian friends, we've had significant progress on that front; market access has improved significantly in a number of areas of interest, including meat exports, marine products exports, dairy exports. So, increasing the market access in these areas and diversifying the basket will both be pursued by us so as to impact the trade deficit that is growing."

In an official note, the MEA remarked: "The two leaders reviewed progress in bilateral cooperation in a range of fields, including political, economic, defence, energy, space, mobility and people-to-people ties."

Taken together, the developments around PM Narendra Modi to Vladimir Putin: Must move from endless war towards point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.