Modi Presses Putin on Ukraine at BRICS Summit 2026 — SkimNews
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- Xi Jinping arrived in New Delhi on September 12, 2026, for the 18th BRICS Summit — his first India visit since 2019 — with a bilateral with Modi scheduled for 5:45 p.m. local time
- Modi and Putin held bilateral talks reaffirming their "Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership," and discussed the Ukraine war, Middle East conflicts and the impact on Indian seafarers of Black Sea disruptions
- Modi reiterated his appeal to Putin to enter negotiations to end the Ukraine war — the second such push in roughly two months after the August SCO summit in Kyrgyzstan
- Pezeshkian warned Iran faces "critical, dangerous" pressure from US sanctions and "military aggression by the US and Israel," while Modi thanked him for participating "despite the challenging circumstances"
- Modi called for protection of maritime trade routes amid competing US and Iranian blockades of the Strait of Hormuz, and Putin accused the West of trying to reclaim "former leadership" by destroying pipelines and seizing vessels
- Former UN diplomat Shashi Tharoor told DW that BRICS leaders "could not agree on any particular language" on Iran or Ukraine, forcing India to issue a chair statement instead of a joint communiqué
Why it matters: Modi's BRICS chairship is being tested by an expanded but visibly divided bloc: members could not agree on language over Iran or Ukraine, forcing India to issue a chair statement rather than a joint communiqué. Modi's public push for Putin to negotiate adds diplomatic pressure as India tries to position itself as a credible Global South convener without rupturing ties with Moscow.
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