India committed to Russia-Ukraine peace, Modi tells Putin

Prime Minister says he has spoken to Russian leader, days after meeting Zelenskyy in Kyiv, as New Delhi maintains balancing act in conflict

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in July. AP

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he spoke to Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, only days after returning from meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv.

Mr Modi said he told Mr Putin of New Delhi's commitment to peace, as India attempts to maintain a delicate balancing act in its relations with both warring parties in Ukraine.

Mr Modi reaffirmed his country's commitment to “support an early, abiding and peaceful resolution” to the Russia-Ukraine war on X, formerly Twitter.

“Exchanged perspectives on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and my insights from the recent visit to Ukraine,” he wrote of his conversation with the Russian President.

Mr Modi said he and Mr Putin also discussed measures to further strengthen their strategic partnership.

The Modi government has refrained from criticising Russia's invasion of Ukraine in an effort to maintain relations with Moscow, which is a major supplier of oil and arms to India. New Delhi also sees Russia as a counterweight to rising Chinese power in Asia.

Mr Modi last week visited Kyiv at the invitation of Mr Zelenskyy, and urged the Ukrainian President to negotiate with Russia. Mr Modi offered to act as a “friend” to facilitate talks between the nations, which have been at war for two and a half years.

More than 10,000 civilians and 30,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in the conflict, with at least 20,000 people injured, according to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. More than 50,000 Russian troops are estimated to have lost their lives.

Mr Modi's visit to Kyiv came six weeks after he travelled to Moscow and met Mr Putin in a trip that drew condemnation from Mr Zelenskyy and western powers.

Mr Zelenskyy criticised India for refusing to join 79 countries in signing the final communique at a Swiss peace summit in June, an event to which Russia was not invited.

“I told PM Modi that we could have the Global Peace Summit in India,” Mr Zelenskyy said. "It’s a big country and the largest democracy … but we won’t be able to conduct a peace summit in a country who hasn’t joined the communique of the [first] peace summit."

The Ukrainian leader said the second peace summit should be held in a country in the Global South.