Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the capital of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek, on Monday, August 31st. During the meeting, Modi expressed that the Russia-Ukraine war should end as soon as possible, with India supporting all efforts to halt the conflict and promote peace.
Modi, speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in a gathering with Putin, emphasized that each day of war is a step back for humanity, while each step towards peace brings hope. He urged all parties involved to move away from the “endless war” and towards ending hostilities and conflicts.
Modi further affirmed that India will continue to support all peace efforts, to which Putin responded positively, mentioning that Russia is moving in the same direction.
According to the Russian official news agency TASS, Putin briefed Modi on the latest developments of the Russian military operations in Ukraine during the meeting.
This marks the formal meeting between Modi and Putin since Putin’s visit to India in December 2025 for the 23rd annual Indo-Russian summit.
The talks also touched on the Russia-India relationship. Modi highlighted the continuous development of economic and trade ties between the two nations, emphasizing cooperation based on mutual national interests. Putin acknowledged the progress in bilateral trade between Russia and India.
In recent years, India has significantly increased its procurement of Russian crude oil, with Russia becoming an important source of crude oil for India. Despite pressure from the West, India has consistently stated its commitment to securing energy supply in line with its national interests, advocating for a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine issue through dialogue and diplomatic means.
Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022, Europe has drastically reduced its import of Russian energy, leading Russia to shift its focus on oil exports towards Asia. China remains the largest buyer in the region, while India has rapidly become the second-largest buyer.
Data released in May 2026 by the independent research institute, the Center for Energy and Clean Air (CREA), based in Finland, shows that in Russian crude oil exports that month, China accounted for 50%, while India accounted for 36%, together making up the majority of exports.