Russia fully backs India’s fight against terrorism, says Prez Putin as he accepts PM Modi's invitation for high-level meet

PTI, MOSCOW, MAY 5, 2025 :  Russian President Vladimir Putin has accepted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's invitation to visit India for the annual high-level meeting as the two leaders held a telephone conversation on Monday, the Kremlin said.

The leaders emphasised the need for an uncompromising fight against terrorism in any of its manifestations, it said. "The Indian leader confirmed his invitation to the Russian president to visit India for an annual bilateral summit. The invitation was gratefully accepted,” the Kremlin said in a statement. They emphasised the strategic nature of Russian-Indian relations that enjoy a particularly privileged partnership, it said, adding that these relations are not subject to external influence and continue to develop dynamically in all areas.

President Putin once again expressed his sincere condolences over the killings of Indian citizens in the brutal terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22. The Russian President on Monday conveyed to Prime Minister Modi in a phone call that Russia fully backs India's fight against terrorism and that the perpetrators of the Pahalgam terror attack must be brought to justice.

In the conversation with Modi, Putin "strongly condemned the terror attack in Pahalgam" and conveyed condolences at the loss of innocent lives, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a social media post. A Russian embassy readout said Putin described the terror attack as "barbaric" and that both the leaders emphasised the need for an "uncompromising fight" against terrorism in all its manifestations.

It also said that the president accepted the prime minister's invitation for the annual India-Russia summit to be held in India this year. Putin was among the first world leaders to condemn the April 22 terror attack that killed 26 civilians. The Russian President conveyed deepest condolences on the loss of innocent lives and expressed "full support" to India in the fight against terrorism, Jaiswal said.