Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin the time was “not for war” on Friday on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, television images showed.

“Your Majesty, I know this is not the time for war,” Modi told Putin in Samarkand, at the start of their first face-to-face meeting since the invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops, according to footage released by the Indian public. Doordashan service broadcaster. But Modi still stressed the importance of “democracy, diplomacy and dialogue”.

The two leaders will discuss “how to move forward on the path to peace”, the Indian Prime Minister added. Vladimir Putin, for his part, assured that he wants to end the conflict in Ukraine “as soon as possible”, saying he understands India’s “concern” on this issue.

“Unfortunately, only the opposing side, the Ukrainian leadership, rejects any negotiation process, and shows that they want to achieve their goals through military means, on the battlefield,” the Kremlin chief continued, according to the exchange broadcast. on Russian television. India has refrained from explicitly condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has raised prices for oil and other commodities. New Delhi calls Moscow an “important pillar” of India’s foreign policy because of its “strategic partnership” for its national security.

India’s former ambassador to Russia, Pankaj Saran, called Modi’s comments “quite frank” saying the Ukraine crisis “has caught the world’s attention and created problems for developing countries”. The Indian leader’s remarks came just a day after Putin acknowledged that China, Russia’s main ally, had “concerns” about the conflict in Ukraine.

“That’s a pretty strong message for Russia,” he told Doordashan TV. “As a friend, his recommendation and India’s position is that this should be resolved only through dialogue and diplomacy.” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine highlights the difficulty of balancing New Delhi with the West.

India remains deaf to calls from Washington to condemn Russia, but is pursuing closer cooperation with the United States, including as a member of the informal “Quad” alliance, alongside Japan and the United States, Australia.

In June, New Delhi remained a signatory to the G7 declaration pledging to “respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of other countries” and regularly calling on Russia and Ukraine “to return to the negotiating table”. Putin visited India late last year, on his second trip abroad since the coronavirus pandemic, with the aim of strengthening military and energy ties between the two countries.

New Delhi is the world’s second largest arms importer after Saudi Arabia and, according to Business Standard, between 2016-20, 49.4% of its purchases came from Russia. The South Asian giant of 1.4 billion people, Russia’s top oil consumer, has increased its purchases significantly since the Western embargo.

In contrast, the South Asian giant has dramatically increased purchases of Russian oil, with Indian refiners enjoying deep discounts. Ukraine’s head of diplomacy Dmytro Kouleba recently accused India, behind its neutrality, of “taking advantage” of Ukrainian and Western “sacrifice”.