‘Putin listens to Modi': Behind closed doors, Europe asks India to intervene
This latest communication marks a shift from the European approach in the immediate aftermath of the February 2022 invasion, when several European leaders and Foreign Ministers visited Delhi urging India to condemn Russia’s actions and take a clear stance.
- Dec 4, 2025,
- Updated Dec 4, 2025 10:45 AM IST
Ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s arrival in New Delhi on Thursday for a two-day state visit — his first since the Ukraine war began — several European envoys and officials are understood to have “privately” urged the Indian government in recent days to press Putin to end the conflict.
According to a report in The Indian Express, this request was conveyed “politely” and “subtly” by diplomats and officials from multiple European nations, including some from eastern Europe who see the war as an existential threat and a direct challenge to European security.
As per sources, the core message delivered to New Delhi was: “Putin is a friend of yours, he listens to you, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that solutions can’t be found on the battlefield, so please ask him to stop the war.”
This latest communication marks a shift from the European approach in the immediate aftermath of the February 2022 invasion, when several European leaders and Foreign Ministers visited Delhi urging India to condemn Russia’s actions and take a clear stance.
While India did not directly criticise Moscow, it condemned the Bucha massacre and called for an international investigation — a rare move for Delhi. Throughout the conflict, it has maintained a careful diplomatic balance, abstaining on all UN resolutions related to the war.
The updated messaging from Europe is noteworthy, given that some of these countries are among India’s closest strategic partners, while others have become key destinations for Indian students, workers, and professionals. They are also important sources of investment, technology, and economic growth. European Union leaders have also been invited as chief guests for the Republic Day parade in January 2026.
Sources said officials in South Block listened to the European envoys’ concerns as they prepared for the Russian President’s visit.
As the US and Europe continue to pressure India to reduce its oil imports from Russia — which they argue are helping finance Moscow’s war effort — the Modi-Putin discussions are expected to draw significant global attention.
Modi and Putin have spoken frequently since the war began, holding a total of 16 conversations — 11 between 2022 and 2024, and five this year alone.
During Putin’s stay, New Delhi has planned a private dinner, a state banquet, bilateral talks, and an address to business leaders, making this a highly ceremonial state visit.
Officials noted that Modi first told Putin that “this is not the era of war” in September 2022 during the SCO summit in Uzbekistan, six months after the invasion. They also pointed out that both Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar engaged with Russian leaders over concerns regarding the safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine. India also quietly supported efforts toward the grain deal between Moscow and Kyiv.
When Modi visited Moscow in July 2024, he reiterated to Putin that “solutions can’t be found on the battlefield.”
Sources indicated that India will convey a similar message during this visit, but stressed that resolving the conflict ultimately depends on all stakeholders — Ukraine, Russia, Europe, and the US — sitting together for negotiations.
The European messages, while delivered privately, were received constructively as part of routine diplomatic engagement.
While British, German, and French envoys wrote an opinion piece in The Times of India criticising Russia’s actions, Poland’s Secretary of State Władysław Teofil Bartoszewski told The Indian Express: “I would very much hope that Prime Minister Modi will tell Putin: Listen, President, maybe you should sign the peace deal with Ukraine, because it’s not to our advantage, it’s not to your advantage, and nobody else, to have that conflict running… Putin pays attention to what Prime Minister Modi tells him.”
Ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s arrival in New Delhi on Thursday for a two-day state visit — his first since the Ukraine war began — several European envoys and officials are understood to have “privately” urged the Indian government in recent days to press Putin to end the conflict.
According to a report in The Indian Express, this request was conveyed “politely” and “subtly” by diplomats and officials from multiple European nations, including some from eastern Europe who see the war as an existential threat and a direct challenge to European security.
As per sources, the core message delivered to New Delhi was: “Putin is a friend of yours, he listens to you, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that solutions can’t be found on the battlefield, so please ask him to stop the war.”
This latest communication marks a shift from the European approach in the immediate aftermath of the February 2022 invasion, when several European leaders and Foreign Ministers visited Delhi urging India to condemn Russia’s actions and take a clear stance.
While India did not directly criticise Moscow, it condemned the Bucha massacre and called for an international investigation — a rare move for Delhi. Throughout the conflict, it has maintained a careful diplomatic balance, abstaining on all UN resolutions related to the war.
The updated messaging from Europe is noteworthy, given that some of these countries are among India’s closest strategic partners, while others have become key destinations for Indian students, workers, and professionals. They are also important sources of investment, technology, and economic growth. European Union leaders have also been invited as chief guests for the Republic Day parade in January 2026.
Sources said officials in South Block listened to the European envoys’ concerns as they prepared for the Russian President’s visit.
As the US and Europe continue to pressure India to reduce its oil imports from Russia — which they argue are helping finance Moscow’s war effort — the Modi-Putin discussions are expected to draw significant global attention.
Modi and Putin have spoken frequently since the war began, holding a total of 16 conversations — 11 between 2022 and 2024, and five this year alone.
During Putin’s stay, New Delhi has planned a private dinner, a state banquet, bilateral talks, and an address to business leaders, making this a highly ceremonial state visit.
Officials noted that Modi first told Putin that “this is not the era of war” in September 2022 during the SCO summit in Uzbekistan, six months after the invasion. They also pointed out that both Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar engaged with Russian leaders over concerns regarding the safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Ukraine. India also quietly supported efforts toward the grain deal between Moscow and Kyiv.
When Modi visited Moscow in July 2024, he reiterated to Putin that “solutions can’t be found on the battlefield.”
Sources indicated that India will convey a similar message during this visit, but stressed that resolving the conflict ultimately depends on all stakeholders — Ukraine, Russia, Europe, and the US — sitting together for negotiations.
The European messages, while delivered privately, were received constructively as part of routine diplomatic engagement.
While British, German, and French envoys wrote an opinion piece in The Times of India criticising Russia’s actions, Poland’s Secretary of State Władysław Teofil Bartoszewski told The Indian Express: “I would very much hope that Prime Minister Modi will tell Putin: Listen, President, maybe you should sign the peace deal with Ukraine, because it’s not to our advantage, it’s not to your advantage, and nobody else, to have that conflict running… Putin pays attention to what Prime Minister Modi tells him.”