Russia Welcomes India on Ukraine Peace, Putin to Meet Modi — SkimNews
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- Dmitry Peskov said Russia's position 'corresponds' with India's, welcoming New Delhi's contribution to ending the Ukraine-Russia war, now in its fifth year, during a virtual press interaction with Indian media on September 8, 2026.
- Vladimir Putin will meet Narendra Modi on September 11, ahead of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12-13, with bilateral trade and economic cooperation on the agenda, Peskov confirmed.
- India's Ministry of External Affairs said around 24 Indian citizens remain in the Russian armed forces on the Ukraine frontlines after being fraudulently recruited; Peskov said Russia has requested their list and will send them back.
- Peskov called the U.S. Russia Sanctions Bill — which targets countries trading energy with Russia — 'illegal, unfair, unacceptable,' while conceding some bilateral issues with India must be discussed 'discreetly' due to sanctions pressure.
- India-Russia bilateral energy trade is setting new monthly records, Peskov said without giving a figure, with Russia confident of further growth despite U.S. sanctions on Indian oil purchases.
- Peskov said BRICS is 'not anti-Western' and offered Moscow as a mediator between Iran and the UAE, noting that their May 2026 differences had prevented a joint statement from the BRICS Foreign Ministers' meeting.
Why it matters: Peskov used the Indian media platform to publicly reinforce the Russia-India partnership on three fronts the Modi government cares about — continued discounted oil flows despite U.S. sanctions, diplomatic backing on Ukraine, and cooperation ahead of India-hosted BRICS — while quietly conceding ground on the 24 Indian citizens issue. For New Delhi, the September 11 Putin-Modi meeting locks in political cover ahead of the U.S. sanctions bill coming to a vote.
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