Moscow: Ambassador of India to Russia, Vinay Kumar, on Tuesday called on country’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mikhail Galuzin in Moscow, as they held talks on current issues on the bilateral and international agenda along with an “in-depth” discussion on the situation surrounding Ukraine.
According to a statement issued by the Russian Foreign Ministry, the Indian diplomat was briefed on Moscow’s assessment of the current situation.
“The unacceptability of the Kyiv regime and its European sponsors’ policy of obstructing a political and diplomatic settlement and promoting military escalation, including in the Azov-Black Sea region, was emphasised. Moscow’s principled position on the need for a fair and sustainable resolution of the crisis by addressing its root causes, primarily related to the West’s intention to inflict a ‘strategic defeat’ on Russia by using Ukraine as a tool, was emphasised,” it read.
The “lively exchange of views” took place in a friendly atmosphere, characteristic of Russian-Indian relations of a specially privileged strategic partnership, the Russian Foreign Ministry mentioned.
Last week, India and Russia reaffirmed their commitment to “the special and privileged” strategic partnership during a meeting between External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar and Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
In a post on X, EAM Jaishankar said the two leaders exchanged views on “several ongoing issues” and reviewed the state of bilateral relations and cooperation within the BRICS grouping.
The meeting took place as India and Russia continue to engage closely on strategic partnership, energy security, defence collaboration and multilateral coordination.
Diplomatic observers said the interaction underlined New Delhi’s intent to maintain dialogue with Moscow even as global geopolitics remains unsettled by the Ukraine conflict and shifting alignments in the Indo-Pacific.
India has consistently emphasised the importance of dialogue and diplomacy in resolving disputes, while also balancing its ties with Western partners and traditional allies such as Russia.
EAM Jaishankar and Lavrov have met regularly at international forums, including BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). Their discussions often cover regional security, trade, and cooperation in multilateral institutions.
On September 17, Putin extended wishes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 76th birthday and lauded his contribution to strengthening the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between the two nations.
“Russia’s President Vladimir Putin sent a message to India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi warmly congratulating him on his birthday (September 17, 2026). The message reads, in part: ‘You are rightly enjoying a deep respect from your compatriots and great authority on the global stage. It is impossible to overstate your personal contribution to strengthening the special and privileged strategic partnership between India and Russia,” the Russian Embassy in India posted on Instagram.
According to the statement, President Putin described his recent talks with PM Modi as “substantive, frank and productive” and said he is ready to continue cooperation between the two nations on bilateral and international issues.
“I would like to express my gratitude for the warm and cordial welcome and hospitality extended to me and the Russian delegation during my visit to New Delhi last week. The talks we held were undoubtedly substantive, frank, and productive. As always, it was a genuine pleasure to talk with you, and our discussions once again demonstrated your extraordinary political wisdom and foresight. We will, of course, continue our constructive cooperation on pressing bilateral and international issues for the benefit of our friendly nations,” the Russian Embassy quoted President Putin as mentioning in the message.
President Putin’s warm message for PM Modi came after his recent visit to India for the 18th BRICS Summit held in New Delhi on September 12-13.
During their meeting on September 11 on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, PM Modi had once again reiterated that dialogue and diplomacy was the way forward in resolving ongoing conflicts.
(IANS)
