Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to take concrete steps toward ending the conflict in Ukraine during their meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Monday. Modi emphasized India’s support for peace initiatives, reiterating his position that the ongoing war must come to an end.

Putin responded by stating that Russia was already pursuing a path toward resolving the conflict. The war began after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. While Western countries, including the United States and the European Union, have imposed sanctions on Russia in response, India and China continue to maintain trade relations with Moscow.

In a separate meeting held the same day in Bishkek, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Putin highlighted the strength of their bilateral cooperation amid increasing Western economic pressure on Russia. Putin described the partnership as successful across multiple sectors, including energy, industry, space, transportation, and logistics. He characterized the deepening strategic cooperation between Russia and China as a model for interstate relations, particularly in the face of current geopolitical challenges.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that the Ukraine conflict was not a primary focus during Putin’s discussions with Xi, which concentrated instead on trade and economic matters. Both Russia and China have faced criticism from the European Union, Ukraine, and the United States over allegations that China is helping Russia circumvent sanctions by continuing to purchase Russian oil and gas.

The SCO summit coincides with Kyrgyzstan’s celebration of the 35th anniversary of its independence from the Soviet Union. The organization, originally founded as a platform for counterterrorism and initiated by China and Russia, is marking its 25th anniversary this year. Russian and Chinese leaders praised the SCO’s role in promoting regional stability and development.

Putin is scheduled to hold further talks on Tuesday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during the summit.