A warm embrace and a tough message
Modi-Putin meeting sets the tone for BRICS weekend, balancing strategic cooperation with appeal for peace
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday underlined that dialogue and diplomacy remain the only way to resolve conflicts and achieve lasting peace, as he held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in New Delhi ahead of the 18th BRICS Summit.
Putin, who is in India on a three-day visit for the BRICS summit, held extensive bilateral discussions with Modi on political ties, trade and economic cooperation, defence, energy, space, skill development and people-to-people relations. The two leaders exchanged a warm embrace before beginning their talks.
The meeting came less than two weeks after the two leaders met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek on August 31. The ongoing conflict in West Asia and developments in the Black Sea region also figured in the discussions. The situation in the Black Sea has disrupted maritime trade and raised concerns over the safety of Indian sailors. Reiterating India’s consistent position, PM Modi stressed that dialogue and diplomacy offer the only viable path towards resolving conflicts and securing lasting peace.
At their Bishkek meeting, PM Modi had similarly urged Putin to move from an “endless war towards the end of war”, while reaffirming India’s call for a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine conflict. The Ukraine war is expected to remain a key issue in the broader discussions between New Delhi and Moscow. Ahead of Putin’s visit, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov had said the Russian President would discuss bilateral ties and major international developments with PM Modi, including the latest developments concerning Ukraine.
Defence cooperation is also expected to figure prominently, with the two sides reviewing ongoing projects and exploring new areas of collaboration. The leaders are also likely to assess the wider India-Russia strategic partnership, particularly in energy, trade, technology and space.
Putin last visited India in December 2025 for the India-Russia annual summit. His current visit is particularly significant as it marks his first in-person attendance at a BRICS summit outside Russia since the Russia-Ukraine war began in February 2022.
The Modi-Putin meeting set the tone for a packed BRICS weekend in New Delhi, with trade, energy, defence, space and industrial cooperation high on the agenda.
India, which holds the BRICS chair in 2026, will host the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13. Leaders of BRICS member and partner countries, along with outreach invitees, are expected to attend. The summit will focus on strengthening cooperation among BRICS countries on shared priorities while providing a platform for discussions on major global and regional developments.
Against the backdrop of conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia, Putin’s visit gives New Delhi and Moscow an opportunity to review their long-standing strategic partnership while discussing some of the most pressing challenges confronting the international system.
