Just three days after meeting US President Donald Trump in Alaska, Russian President Vladimir Putin called up PMNarendra Modi. The timing was no coincidence, Trump was just about to sit down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders, and Putin wanted to make sure his key partners were updated.
Modi shared news of the conversation on X, writing: “Thank my friend, President Putin, for his phone call and for sharing insights on his recent meeting with President Trump in Alaska. India has consistently called for a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict and supports all efforts in this regard. I look forward to our continued exchanges in the days to come.”
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Putin explained his assessment of the Alaska summit. Modi, in turn, reminded him that India has always stood for peace in Ukraine and believes diplomacy and dialogue are the only way forward.
The Kremlin released its own statement too, saying the two leaders not only discussed, but also exchanged views on a long-term solution to the Ukraine conflict. Putin also expressed condolences over the recent floods in India.
The call carried a deeper message beyond Ukraine. India and Russia also touched on their long-standing “Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership”, a relationship that has been tested in recent months because of US pressure. Washington has imposed heavy tariffs on India, partly as punishment for buying Russian oil. Trump recently warned of even tougher “secondary sanctions,” though he hinted he might hold off. “If I have to do it, I’ll do it. Maybe I won’t have to do it,” he told Fox News.
This was the second time in just ten days that Modi and Putin had spoken. Their next face-to-face meeting is expected at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in China later this month. Ahead of that, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will visit Moscow for talks with his counterpart Sergey Lavrov.
For India, these conversations are not just about global politics, they are about finding room to balance its close ties with both Russia and the United States, while holding firm on one clear message: the war in Ukraine must end through peace, not conflict.
