Why India's Modi Urged Putin at SCO to End Ukraine War

Summary

Bloomberg's Sudhi Ranjan Sen discusses Indian Prime Minister Modi's blunt appeal to Vladimir Putin at the SCO summit to end the Ukraine war. He explains that India has limited but symbolic leverage as one of Russia's last remaining friends, while India-Russia ties remain strong. India continues to prioritize cheap oil imports for energy security, and broader India-Russia trade is on the upswing.

• Modi directly urged Putin to end the war in Ukraine at the SCO summit.
• Sudhi Ranjan Sen says the statement is one of India's bluntest yet.
• India is described as one of Russia's few remaining friends, giving it some symbolic leverage.
• India has resisted US and global pressure and continues buying cheap oil.
• Energy security is cited as a primary reason for continued oil purchases.
• India-Russia trade is strengthening, with efforts to close the oil-driven trade deficit.
• The geopolitical impact on Putin is uncertain and will need to be watched.