New Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin called Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday and shared his assessment of his recent meeting with US President Donald Trump.
A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said that during the call, Modi underlined India’s consistent position for a peaceful resolution of the conflict and reiterated India’s support for all efforts towards this end. They also discussed issues of bilateral cooperation.
Taking to X, Modi said, “Thank my friend, President Putin, for his phone call and for sharing insights on his recent meeting with President Trump in Alaska. India has consistently called for a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict and supports all efforts in this regard. I look forward to our continued exchanges in the days to come.”
Both leaders also touched upon a number of issues of bilateral cooperation to further strengthen the special and privileged strategic partnership between India and Russia. India has traditionally been a major buyer of Russian defence equipment, and in the past few years, Russia has also emerged as the top supplier of oil to India, supplying about 36% of the latter’s total oil imports.
In the past few weeks, as the US has announced it would increase tariffs on Indian exports due to the purchase of Russian oil, India has maintained that it would take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interest and economic security.
The ministry of external affairs, in a statement earlier this month, had said that India’s imports are meant to ensure predictable and affordable energy costs to the Indian consumer. They are a necessity compelled by the global market situation, it added.
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin met in Alaska on 15 August to discuss the Ukraine war, but could not reach a deal.
After the bilateral meeting, Trump dropped his push for a ceasefire in Ukraine in favour of pursuing a full peace accord, which is a major shift from the previous demand for a ceasefire. Taking to his Truth Social platform, the US president said that ceasefire agreements “often times do not hold up”.
After the bilateral meeting on 15 August, India’s ministry of external affairs said in a statement that it welcomes the summit meeting of both presidents.
It also stressed that the way forward can only be through dialogue and diplomacy. “The world wants to see an early end to the conflict in Ukraine,” the MEA statement had said.
Global attention now turns to Trump’s upcoming meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday at the White House, which could mark a pivotal moment in peace negotiations.