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<p data-start="0" data-end="332"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a detailed and cordial phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, during which both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further deepen the India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership. They also discussed recent developments concerning the Ukraine conflict.</span></p>
<p data-start="334" data-end="646"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">After the call, PM Modi posted on X, expressing gratitude to Putin for sharing updates on Ukraine and highlighting the progress made in bilateral ties. He reiterated India&rsquo;s consistent stance advocating a peaceful resolution to the conflict and looked forward to hosting President Putin in India later this year.</span></p>
<p data-start="648" data-end="1037"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The phone conversation followed National Security Advisor Ajit Doval&rsquo;s visit to the Kremlin on Thursday evening, where he met with President Putin and other senior Russian officials. This engagement came amid recent US sanctions on India over its import of Russian oil, a move India described as unfair and based on market factors aimed at securing energy needs for its 1.4 billion people.</span></p>
<p data-start="1039" data-end="1530"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Russia&rsquo;s delegation during the meeting included Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu and Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov, alongside India&rsquo;s Ambassador to Russia, Vinay Kumar. Plans for President Putin&rsquo;s visit to India for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit are underway, continuing the tradition of annual meetings between the two leaders. Putin last visited India in December 2021, while PM Modi made two visits to Russia last year for the 22nd Russia-India Summit and the BRICS Summit.</span></p>
<p data-start="1532" data-end="1939"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov recently described the political dialogue between India and Russia as &ldquo;developing dynamically,&rdquo; emphasizing shared views on the emerging multipolar world order. He noted the long history of cooperation between the two nations, based on mutual respect and aligned interests. Lavrov also highlighted that preparations for Putin&rsquo;s upcoming visit to India are in progress.</span></p>
<p data-start="1941" data-end="2279"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The strong bilateral relationship was further underscored by recent messages of condolences and support between the two leaders over tragedies and terror attacks in India, including the passenger plane crash in Ahmedabad and the terror attack in Pahalgam. Both sides emphasized the importance of an uncompromising fight against terrorism.</span></p>
<p data-start="2281" data-end="2540"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Russian presidential office described the conversation as a reaffirmation of the strategic, special, and privileged partnership between India and Russia, noting that these ties remain unaffected by external pressures and continue to grow across all areas.</span></p>
<p data-start="2542" data-end="2786"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">PM Modi reiterated his invitation for President Putin to attend the traditional annual bilateral summit in India, which was warmly accepted. Although Modi was invited to participate in Russia&rsquo;s Victory Day celebrations, he was unable to travel.</span></p>
<p data-start="2788" data-end="2914" data-is-last-node="" data-is-only-node=""><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">The ongoing engagement between the two leaders highlights the enduring strength and evolving nature of India-Russia relations.</span></p>
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<div class="pointer-events-none h-px w-px" aria-hidden="true" data-edge="true"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 12pt;">[Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed]</span></div>

Modi, Putin Reaffirm Strong India-Russia Ties

PM Modi and President Putin discuss Ukraine, deepen strategic partnership ahead of summit

Modi, Putin Reaffirm Strong India-Russia Ties

PM Modi and President Putin discuss Ukraine, deepen strategic partnership ahead of summit

August 8, 2025 | 20:01 IST