Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has told Russian President Vladimir Putin that the war in Ukraine must come to an end, during a meeting at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
The two leaders spoke at the two-day summit, where Modi warned of the threat to humanity posed by the conflict. The regional SCO bloc, which includes Russia, China, Iran, India, Pakistan, Belarus and others, seeks to be a counterbalance to the West.
Modi calls for peace
"We need to move from an endless war to the end of the war," Modi told Putin on Monday, August 31. Putin responded: "Thank you very much, Mr Prime Minister. We are moving in that direction."
It has been more than four years since Russia invaded Ukraine, and the conflict shows no sign of moving towards peace. Putin instead appears to be ramping up the conflict by launching repeated strikes across the country, including attacks on food warehouses that are now being blamed for alarming shortages and empty supermarket shelves.
Humanity set back by war
Modi continued during the encounter: "Every day of war sets the humanity back, whereas every step taken towards peace fills the humanity with new hope and enthusiasm." The Indian leader urged an end to the war and called peace "crucial for the well-being of humanity".
"A peaceful resolution to all issues at the earliest is the call of humanity, and this is India's message," he said.
Russia's response
Just days earlier, Putin said during an address that Ukraine is opening a "Pandora's box" and threatened "blowback on the most sensitive sectors of your economy". Putin has also dismissed suggestions that the war was coming to an end.
"The special military operation continues," he told United Russia, the Kremlin's ruling party. "We will move only forward."
Russia has also threatened the West. Russia's embassy in London in August accused Britain of becoming "an accomplice and co-perpetrator" of the attacks and of "deliberately opting for an escalation" in the conflict.
The Ministry of Defence said in response: "Britain stands shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine and we are committed to providing the equipment Ukraine needs to defend itself against Putin's illegal invasion. Russia should be in no doubt about the resolve of this Government to stand against Russian aggression, in Ukraine and against the UK and our allies."
