PM Modi has 'very good ideas' to help end Ukraine conflict: Putin

New Delhi, Oct 2 (UNI) Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts to help bring an end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, saying the Indian leader has consistently raised the issue in his meetings with Moscow and offered "very good ideas" for finding a mutually acceptable solution.

Addressing the plenary session of the Valdai Discussion Club in Moscow on Thursday, Putin underlined Modi's continued efforts for dialogue and diplomacy to end the conflict despite the close and friendly ties between India and Russia. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi is one of those world leaders who, despite our very good and even friendly relations, personal good relations, constantly raises the question and asks the question about putting an end to the conflict in Ukraine," Putin said.

He said Modi is "keenly interested" in ending the conflict and had put forward ideas aimed at finding solutions acceptable to all sides. "He has very good ideas aimed at finding mutually acceptable solutions. In this sense, the Prime Minister certainly takes a neutral position, but he is interested in ending the conflict. I simply consider it my duty to state this frankly." Expressing gratitude, Putin said, " We are grateful to the Prime Minister for his ideas-I won't go into details now-for his commitment to ending this conflict, including peacefully and as quickly as possible."

Modi has repeatedly said the war should be resolved peacefully and has conveyed this to both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Modi met Putin on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 11, where he reiterated that dialogue and diplomacy are the way forward. The two leaders also discussed bilateral economic cooperation and other areas of the India-Russia partnership. Earlier, at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, Modi had called for moving from an "endless war" towards an "end of war."

India has maintained that the conflict must be resolved through dialogue while retaining engagement with both Moscow and Kyiv. At the Valdai Discussion Club, Putin said the world is undergoing a major transformation and that existing international institutions and rules are struggling to keep pace. He called for a more balanced, multipolar world order, with greater representation for countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.

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