New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir V. Putin Friday, reiterated the call for “dialogue and diplomacy” to end the war in Ukraine.
The two leaders held an hour-long meeting in the national capital on the margins of the BRICS leaders’ summit. During the meeting, Modi highlighted the importance of ensuring the safety and security of Indian seafarers in the Black Sea.
“Prime Minister once again reiterated that dialogue and diplomacy was the way forward in resolving conflicts and India stood ready to assist in peace efforts,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.
It added: “They also shared perspectives on key regional and global issues of mutual interest, including the conflicts in West Asia and the Black Sea region which have impacted maritime trade and the safety and security of Indian seafarers.”
Delighted to meet President Putin in Delhi, less than two weeks after our meeting in Bishkek.
During today’s meeting we talked about:
Closer trade ties, including implementation of the Programme for Economic Cooperation 2030.
Cooperation in areas like infrastructure, energy,… pic.twitter.com/nLaMDxnDEc
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 11, 2026
This was the second meeting between Modi and Putin in less than two weeks. They met on 31 August on the sidelines of the Heads of State summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek.
During that meeting, Modi called on Putin to move from “endless war to the end of war”. Earlier this month, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar made a visit to Ukraine, meeting with foreign minister Andrii Sybiha and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Jaishankar continued to reiterate India’s position on the war, as well as highlighting New Delhi’s potential ability to keep communication channels open with all sides.
The Russia-Ukraine war is now in its fifth year, with the last few months witnessing some of the most intense exchanges since the war began in February 2022.
At least five Indian seafarers have lost their lives in strikes on the Black Sea, with New Delhi summoning both Russian and Ukrainian envoys over their actions striking at merchant ships.
Putin is in New Delhi for a three-day visit. The two leaders visited the INNOPROM exhibition at Bharat Mandapam before appearing at the BRICS Business Forum.
“They welcomed Russia’s International Industrial Exhibition “INNOPROM India”, which was held for the first time in India from 9-11 September 2026 and underscored its importance in further expanding trade and industrial ties. The two leaders also visited the INNOPROM India exhibition and interacted with the participants,” said the MEA statement.
A wide range of topics were discussed during the meeting Friday, primarily around deepening economic engagement to reach the $100 billion in trade target by 2030, sources indicated.
Trade between the two countries has grown since the war in Ukraine began. In the last financial year, India imported over $50 billion worth of crude oil from Russia. India has been calling for more market access to Russian markets for its own exports, which have remained almost stagnant.
“The two leaders reviewed progress in bilateral cooperation in political, economic, defence, energy, space, skill mobility and people-to- people domains,” said the MEA.
Modi also gifted Putin a Russian translated copy of the Tamil classic the Thirukurral.
Presented President Putin with a Russian translation of the Thirukkural, which carries the eternal wisdom of the great Thiruvalluvar across languages and borders. pic.twitter.com/rvk3rRDnvg
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 11, 2026
On the agenda of the two leaders are deeper strategic cooperation, especially in the military sector, as well as nuclear energy. Other topics said to have been touched upon include tunnel link infrastructure.
Modi is likely to visit Russia later this year for the annual summit between the two countries, when further announcements of engagement are expected to be made.
Putin invited Modi Friday to visit Russia for the annual summit, which the Indian Prime Minister immediately accepted, according to the MEA statement.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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