In a phone call, Putin and Modi emphasise their commitment to cooperation and strengthen their bilateral partnership

According to the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had an important phone discussion during which they reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the two countries’ strategic alliance. The leaders reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthening the exclusive strategic partnership between Russia and India, with intentions to keep lines of communication open.

The Kremlin press agency informed President Putin and Prime Minister Modi during the conversation that Ukraine had categorically refused to seek a diplomatic settlement to the current war. According to sources in the media, the Russian president gave an assessment of the situation in the special military operation zone and emphasised Kiev’s categorical opposition to political and diplomatic steps to resolve the crisis.

The two presidents also discussed cooperation between their nations within the G20 and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), in addition to the situation in Ukraine. In addition to their continuous engagement within the BRICS structure, the statement emphasised the specific focus paid to promoting cooperation within the SCO and G20, especially while India now holds the presidency of the latter.