Indian prime minister Narendra Modi has told Russian ​president Vladimir Putin that the war in Ukraine needed to end for humanity’s sake and that New Delhi would support every peace effort to stop the fighting.Modi, who made his comments at the start ​of talks with Putin in the Kyrgyzstan capital Bishkek on Monday, called Putin “my friend” and welcomed growing economic ties between the ⁠two countries, which he said were guided by the need to put the interests ‌of ‌both nations ​above all else.India, along with China, is one of the biggest buyers of Russian oil, which has helped Moscow replenish its ⁠budget since it sent tens of thousands ​of troops into Ukraine in 2022 and ​was hit with sweeping western sanctions.“As you are aware, India supports all peace efforts in ‌this regard, and we shall continue to ​do so in the future,” Modi told Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai ⁠Co-operation Organisation summit, according to a Kremlin ⁠transcript of ​their exchange.“Every day that the war continues, humanity is, in effect, set back a step, whilst every step towards peace gives all of humanity real hope for peace. We need to move from endless war to an end to the war, to a cessation of hostilities. And we will need to move precisely in this direction,” said Modi, who has said before that he wants a peace ‌settlement for Ukraine.“Thank you ⁠very much, prime minister. We are moving forward along this path,” Putin responded, according to state media.The Kremlin – which has repeatedly said that Russia ‌is only ready to end the war on its own terms, which Ukraine has dismissed as an unacceptable demand ​to capitulate – said after the talks that Putin had briefed ​Modi on how the special military operation, Russia’s preferred description for its action in Ukraine, was progressing, the state TASS news agency reported.[ CIA director gives bleak assessment of Russia’s war in Ukraine during Moscow visitOpens in new window ]Chinese president Xi Jinping and Putin also held talks on Monday on the sidelines of the summit.The two leaders focused mainly on bilateral relations including trade and economic co-operation as well as key international issues, though they discussed the war in Ukraine only tangentially, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a Russian state television reporter. – Reuters