Vladimir Putin says Narendra Modi has "very good ideas" for ending the Ukraine conflict — praise the Russian president offered at the Valdai Discussion Club in Moscow on Thursday, where he said the Indian prime minister raises the war at "every meeting" the two leaders hold.
What Putin said
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi is one of those world leaders who, despite our very good and even friendly relations, personal good relations, constantly raises the question and asks the question about putting an end to the conflict in Ukraine," Putin said, according to TASS. "He has an avid interest and very good ideas aimed at finding mutually acceptable solutions." He added: "We are grateful to the Prime Minister for his ideas — I won't go into details now — for his commitment to ending this conflict, including peacefully and as quickly as possible." Putin also praised India's scale and diversity: "India cannot fail to amaze."
India's peace diplomacy
Modi and Putin last met on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi last month, where Modi reiterated that dialogue and diplomacy were the way forward; in August they met at the SCO Summit in Bishkek, where Modi called for moving "from an endless war towards an end to the war." Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said Russia would welcome India's peace efforts. Modi has also engaged Ukraine directly — including a landmark visit to Kyiv — giving India a presence on both sides of the conflict.
Why it matters
India has maintained strategic neutrality on the war that began in February 2022, while calling consistently for dialogue. Whether Modi's ideas translate into formal mediation depends on buy-in from Kyiv and Western capitals, which have not publicly endorsed India's role in the same terms as Moscow. Still, a public endorsement from Putin at Valdai signals that India's peace diplomacy remains a recurring fixture of the conversation.
Watch: Putin praises PM Modi for "good ideas" on ending Ukraine war (NDTV)
Sources: Reporter World News (PTI), IANS, Nation Press