Tianjin (China): India and Russia always stood “shoulder-to-shoulder” even in most difficult situations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, against the backdrop of possibly the worst phase in New Delhi’s ties with the US in over two decades.

Modi and Putin met on the sidelines of the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) with a focus on expanding bilateral cooperation in economic, financial, and energy sectors.

Before the official talks, the two leaders held over 40-minute-long informal conversations while travelling together in the same car to the venue of the meeting after concluding their engagements at the SCO summit.

In his televised opening remarks at the meeting, Modi said India welcomes all the recent efforts towards establishing peace in Ukraine, adding it is humanity’s call to find a way to end hostilities as soon as possible.

“We’ve been having regular discussions on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. We welcome all the recent efforts towards establishing peace,” Modi said.

“We hope that all parties shall proceed ahead constructively. A way must be found to end this conflict and establish lasting peace. This is the aspiration of the entire humanity,” he added.

It is understood that the Indian side briefed Putin about Modi’s phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday.