Now is not the time for war, Narendra Modi tells Putin

Narendra Modi has delivered his firmest criticism so far of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, telling President Putin that “today’s era is not an era of war”.

The prime minister of India was speaking in Uzbekistan today at a meeting of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO), a rival to Nato involving China and Russia. He has previously said he favours “dialogue and diplomacy” to solve the conflict, while stopping short of overt criticism of the Kremlin’s aggression.

Putin told the Indian leader he was aware of his concerns, adding: “We will do everything we can so that [the war] ends as soon as possible.” He claimed Ukraine was to blame for the continuing conflict because it was refusing to enter into negotiations and wanted to “achieve its objectives by military means on the field of battle”.

The exchange came as Putin and President Xi of China deepened their alliance at the summit in Tashkent. They promised “new centres of power” to challenge western hegemony and repulse “outside forces”. Xi called for an “international order in a more just and rational direction”.

With Russia mired in the Ukraine war, China is emerging as the leader of regional security in Eurasia. Xi urged the group’s member states to “boost mutual trust and work together to cope with complex changes in the exterior environment,” according to Chinese state media. “We must prevent ‘colour revolutions’ as plotted by outside forces,” he said. “We must together oppose any interference with a country’s internal affairs under any excuse but tightly hold the destiny of our own country in our hands.”

It was time to refashion the international system and “abandon zero-sum games and bloc politics”, Xi added. The world had “entered a new period of turbulent change” which demanded like-minded states to join together.

Putin welcomed the increasing influence of countries outside the West, criticising what he called “instruments of protectionism, illegal sanctions and economic selfishness”. He added: “The growing role of new centres of power who co-operate with each other ... is becoming more and more clear.”

China and Russia are the dominant countries in the SCO, which includes India, Pakistan and the central Asian states of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Iran is in the process of joining and signed a memorandum to that effect this week.

Xi said the group should expand, as more countries have shown interest. He announced that China will help to train 2,000 law-enforcement personnel for SCO member countries.

In Washington, a Senate committee approved legislation on Wednesday that would significantly enhance American military support for Taiwan, including provisions for $4.5 billion in security assistance over four years. The development fuelled growing anger in Beijing — which views the self-governing island as a rebel province — over what it sees as American interference in its affairs.

Putin, who earlier greeted his “old friend” Xi, said yesterday that he supported China’s claim to Taiwan and expressed appreciation for its “balanced position” on the Ukraine conflict while acknowledging it had some “concerns”. Xi has refrained from criticising Putin over the Ukraine invasion.