‘Every Single Day Spent In War Pushes Humanity Back’: Modi Tells Putin At SCO Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, focusing on key aspects of bilateral ties, including cooperation in trade and investment, energy and defence. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.

The talks came a week before Putin’s scheduled visit to India to attend the annual BRICS summit. Ahead of the meeting, officials said the discussions covered traditional areas of India-Russia engagement, including defence, energy, trade and investment.

What Did Modi Tell Putin About The Ukraine War?

Referring to the Ukraine conflict, Modi said India had consistently supported peace efforts and would continue to do so. He said every day spent at war set humanity back, while every step towards peace gave humanity new hope.

“Every single day spent in war pushes humanity back. And every single step taken towards peace fills the whole of humanity with new hope, with excitement. We must move from endless war to end of war in that direction, which is also very necessary for the betterment of humanity. Solving all issues peacefully as soon as possible is the call of humanity, this is India's message,” he said.

There is only one message from the land of Gandhi, from the land of Buddha, the path of peace, Modi told Putin.

What Did Putin Say About India-Russia Ties?

Putin noted that Russian-Indian relations continued to strengthen on the basis of the principles of a special and privileged partnership. He said this was aided by Modi’s special attention to Russian-Indian relations and the close ties between the two countries.

He further noted, “Our trade and economic cooperation is demonstrated generally positive momentum. Last year we saw a little increase, but in the first half-year of 2026, our trade turnover grew by 2.6 percent.”

Putin also highlighted growing people-to-people ties between India and Russia. He said the number of Indian students in Russia had increased sevenfold in recent years to around 40,000, while tourist flows between the two countries had grown by 16%.

He also noted ongoing cultural exchanges, including Indian cultural festivals in Russia. Putin mentioned about External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s visit to Moscow recently and noted that next year India-Russia will celebrate 80^th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

What Else Did Modi And Putin Discuss?

Putin also highlighted growing humanitarian and people-to-people ties, saying the number of Indian students in Russia had increased sevenfold in recent years to 40,000. He also cited a 16% rise in tourism flows between the two countries and cooperation at the UN, BRICS, G20 and SCO.

Modi said both sides were working to implement the outcomes of Putin's previous visit to India and that advancing cooperation while keeping national interests above all would remain a guiding principle. He also welcomed Putin's upcoming visit to India for the BRICS summit.

In a post on X, Modi said, “Had extensive discussions with President Putin. Discussed the full range of the India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership. It is gladdening to see significant progress across various sectors in recent years. Focus areas for the India-Russia friendship remain energy, innovation, space, fertilisers and people-to-people linkages.”