PM Modi Tells Putin Dialogue, Diplomacy Only Way Forward On Ukraine War

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called upon Russian President Vladimir Putin, and reiterated his call for dialogue and diplomacy as "the only way forward" in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the government said. The two leaders spoke over a phone call.

Meanwhile, the Russian side, in its statement, said, "At the request of Narendra Modi, Vladimir Putin gave fundamental assessments of Russia's line on the Ukrainian direction".

Following up on their meeting in Samarkand on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, the two leaders also reviewed several aspects of the bilateral relationship, including energy cooperation, trade and investments, defence and security cooperation, and other key areas, the PM's office said.

The Prime Minister also briefed President Putin on India's ongoing Presidency of the G-20, highlighting its key priorities. 

"He also looked forward to both countries working together during India's Chairship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation," the media release from the PM's office said.

The leaders agreed to remain in regular touch with each other.

PM Modi had earlier in his message to Russia, in an attempt to de-escalate tensions, said that "today's era is not of war", earning wide praise from the West which saw it as a "public rebuke" to Russia. The PM's anti-war message also found a mention in a declaration by leaders of the G20 summit gathered in Indonesia's Bali last month.

Russia had, however, accused the West of cherry-picking from India's stand, while staying mum on things that put them in a spot -- like India's massive increase in crude oil imports from Russia against repeated appeals by the West, and also Ukraine.

Russia's Ambassador to India Denis Alipov had said the remarks have been consistent with India's position on the issue.

"The West uses only those quotes that suit them while ignoring other parts," he had said.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had last week said that India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have become the "voice of the world", especially of the developing countries, in pushing for an end to the Ukraine conflict through dialogue and diplomacy as soon as possible.

He also said that India is among the countries with whom all sides are sharing their views.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba had last week in an exclusive interview with NDTV hit out at India over imports of cheap Russian oil, referring to it as being ''morally inappropriate.''

''The opportunity for India to buy Russian oil at a cheap price comes from the fact that Ukrainians are suffering from Russian aggression and dying every day,'' he had said.

When asked about his views on Mr Jaishankar pointing to Europe on oil imports from Russia, saying 'what India imports is a fraction of what the European nations import', he called it "completely wrong.

"It is completely wrong to explain the purchase of oil from Russia by the argument that Europeans are doing the same. I think it is morally inappropriate because you are buying cheap oil not because of Europeans but because of us, of our suffering, of our tragedy, and because of the war that Russia launched against Ukraine," he had said.

PM's phone conversation with President Putin comes a week after it was reported that PM Modi is unlikely to travel to Russia for the annual India-Russia summit this year.

With the last annual summit held in India in December last year - which saw Russian President Vladimir Putin travel to India for a six-hour visit - it was Russia's turn this year to host the meeting.

But now in its 11th month of the invasion of Ukraine, Russia has not proposed a summit and no dates have been announced as the year draws to a close.