PM Modi greets Putin, suggests diplomacy to end Ukraine conflict

Congratulating Russian President Vladimir Putin for winning a fifth term in office, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday (March 20) asserted that dialogue and diplomacy were the way forward in resolving the Russia–Ukraine conflict.

Modi is among the few international leaders who have greeted Putin on his re-election. Modi's call to Putin came two days after the Russian leader won the presidential election by a landslide, a victory questioned by the United States and its allies.

"Spoke with President Putin and congratulated him on his re-election as the President of the Russian Federation. We agreed to work together to further deepen and expand India–Russia Special & Privileged Strategic Partnership in the years ahead," PM Modi wrote on X.

According to a Kremlin readout on the conversation, Putin wished Modi "for the successful conduct of the upcoming parliamentary elections in India".

In the telephonic talks, Modi and Putin reviewed progress in bilateral cooperation and exchanged views on regional and global issues, External Affairs Ministry said in a statement.

Russia–Ukraine conflict

While discussing the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Modi reiterated India's consistent position in favour of dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward, it said, adding that the two leaders agreed to remain in touch.

Congratulating Putin on his re-election, Modi conveyed his best wishes for peace, progress and prosperity of the friendly people of Russia, it said.

The two leaders agreed to make concerted efforts towards further strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries in the years to come.

According to the Kremlin statement, both sides noted with satisfaction that mutually beneficial ties in trade, economic and investment fields and in the areas of energy and transport are progressively and dynamically developing in line with a particularly privileged strategic partnership.

"An exchange of views was also held on a number of issues on the international agenda, in particular in the context of the situation around Ukraine," the Kremlin statement said. "The mood for further coordination between Russia and India in multilateral formats, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS, was confirmed," it added.

"The conversation took place in a warm and friendly manner. Vladimir Putin, in turn, wished Narendra Modi successful conduct of the upcoming parliamentary elections in India," the Kremlin statement said.

Putin cements grip over Russia

Putin recorded a landslide victory in Russia's election, cementing his already tight grip on power. The election results declared on Monday (March 18) showed that the three other candidates who ran – but did not openly challenge Putin – polled 4.31, 3.85 and 3.20 percent of the vote.

Putin made it clear that the result should send a message to the West that its leaders will have to reckon with an emboldened Russia, whether in war or in peace, for many more years to come.

“We have many tasks ahead. But when we are consolidated – no matter who wants to intimidate us, suppress us – nobody has ever succeeded in history, they have not succeeded now, and they will not succeed ever in the future," Putin told supporters in a victory speech in Moscow.

(With agency inputs)