Russia’s president publicly welcomed offers from two of the world’s most powerful leaders to help broker peace in Ukraine, turning the BRICS summit in New Delhi into a stage for high-profile diplomatic signaling on a conflict now grinding through its fifth year.
Vladimir Putin praised the willingness of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping to support a negotiated settlement during the 18th BRICS Summit, held September 11-12, 2026. Modi declared India’s readiness to assist peace efforts through dialogue and diplomacy, while Xi’s engagement reinforced Beijing’s positioning as a potential intermediary.
What actually happened in New Delhi
Modi met with Putin on September 11, using the encounter to raise India’s interest in a Ukraine settlement alongside a more immediate concern: the safety of Indian seafarers operating in the Black Sea.
The following day, Modi sat down with Xi. But that conversation steered in a different direction entirely, centering on their own longstanding boundary dispute rather than Ukraine. The two leaders emphasized what they called a “fair and reasonable” resolution to border tensions.
