Archive · 31 Aug 2026
Modi Urges Putin to End Ukraine War at SCO Summit
Narendra Modi of India met Vladimir Putin of Russia in Kyrgyzstan.
They met during a large regional meeting called the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.
Modi said that every day of war harms humanity.
He asked countries to work toward ending the fighting in Ukraine.
India supports talking and negotiating, but it has not directly condemned Russia.
The leaders also discussed energy because India buys a lot of oil from Russia.
Supplies from the Middle East have been disrupted, making energy planning more difficult for India.
India and Russia also want to increase their trade to $100 billion by 2030.
However, India currently buys much more from Russia than it sells there.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 31 during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
Modi told Putin that every day of war sets humanity back and called for efforts to end hostilities in Ukraine.
The leaders were expected to discuss India-Russia relations, the Ukraine war and regional developments.
Russian oil has become crucial to India’s energy supplies amid disruptions involving Middle Eastern sources and the conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States.
India-Russia trade reached $59.86 billion in 2025-26, but India imported more than $55 billion from Russia while exporting under $5 billion.
- Who
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
- What
- They met to discuss India-Russia relations, the Ukraine war, regional developments, energy security and trade.
- When
- August 31, during the two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit held on August 31 and September 1.
- Where
- The Aksakal Meeting Room at the Bishkek Ala-Archa State Residence in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
- Why
- The meeting addressed efforts to end hostilities in Ukraine, India’s energy needs, bilateral trade and its relationships with Russia, Iran and the United States.
- Meeting
- Narendra Modi met Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.
- Location
- Aksakal Meeting Room, Bishkek Ala-Archa State Residence, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
- Modi’s message
- “Every day of war sets humanity back, we must work toward ending hostilities.”
- India’s position
- India has emphasized dialogue and diplomacy over the Ukraine war while stopping short of directly condemning Moscow.
- Russian oil
- Russian crude accounted for more than half of India’s crude imports in July, at about 2.47 million barrels per day, according to data cited by Reuters.
- Bilateral trade
- India-Russia trade stood at $59.86 billion in 2025-26.
- Trade target
- India and Russia are targeting $100 billion in bilateral trade by 2030.
