India's PM Modi urges Putin to end the war in Ukraine

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to bring the war in Ukraine to an end during a phone conversation between the two leaders. The Hindustan Times reports on the exchange.

"Every day spent at war is a step backward for all of humanity, while every step toward peace fills people with fresh hope and inspiration," the newspaper quotes the Indian prime minister as saying. He added that it was essential to move away from endless conflict and toward its resolution, calling this crucial for the well-being of humankind as a whole.

An invitation to the BRICS summit

Modi also recalled Putin's visit to India last year, describing it as "highly successful and memorable," and invited the Russian leader to the upcoming BRICS summit, set to take place in India on 12–13 September this year.

"India will be hosting the BRICS summit in a few days, and all Indians are eagerly looking forward to welcoming you and your delegation. Your visit will strengthen our bilateral relations and reinforce dialogue and cooperation within BRICS," the prime minister said, according to the Indian Express. The outlet noted that Putin confirmed he would travel to India in September.

Talks with Xi Jinping made no mention of Ukraine

Russia's state news agency TASS reported that, in addition to his conversation with the Indian prime minister, Putin also held talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the topic of Ukraine was barely mentioned during that discussion.

"The Ukrainian crisis was touched upon only in passing — essentially, there was no real discussion of it," TASS quoted Peskov as saying.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz