TLDR
Narendra Modi told Vladimir Putin at the SCO summit in Bishkek that dialogue and diplomacy are the only way to resolve conflicts, in a bilateral meeting held on 31 August. Both leaders welcomed a recent India-Russia trade commission outcome, though India stopped short of condemning Russia's conduct in Ukraine.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Modi presses Putin on Ukraine at Bishkek summit
Narendra Modi met Vladimir Putin on 31 August on the margins of the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, and told the Russian president that dialogue and diplomacy was the way forward in resolving conflicts.[1]
The SCO summit opened in Bishkek on 31 August 2026.[3] India's official readout said the two leaders reviewed progress across political, economic, defence, energy, space, mobility and people-to-people ties.[1]
Putin's response and what was agreed
Putin opened the meeting by crediting the bilateral relationship directly to Modi. He said: "Mr Prime Minister, 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."[2]
Both leaders welcomed the outcome of the 27th India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic and Cultural matters, held on 24 August 2026 in Moscow.[1] Neither side issued a joint statement, and no specific commitments on Ukraine appeared in either readout.
India's position and its limits
Modi's Bishkek language tracks the position he took during his July 2024 visit to Moscow, where he told Putin that "this is not an era of war" and that conflicts must be resolved through dialogue. India has resisted Western calls to impose further sanctions on Russia while remaining one of the world's largest buyers of Russian oil.
Ukraine and Western governments cautiously welcomed Modi's call for dialogue but questioned New Delhi's refusal to condemn Russia's actions outright. Kyiv and its allies have pointed to India's energy purchasing relationship with Moscow as a source of leverage that has gone unapplied.
The G20 leaders' summit later this year is the next scheduled multilateral engagement at which both India and Russia are expected to participate.
SOURCES & CITATIONS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What did Modi say to Putin about Ukraine at the Bishkek SCO summit?
What trade agreement did India and Russia discuss in Bishkek?
Why does India not condemn Russia over Ukraine?
Caleb Reed covers breaking news and sport. He works to the rhythm of a story as it unfolds, and he is happiest when the facts arrive faster than anyone can spin them.
