Putin dials Modi, extends full support in fight against terrorism in no uncertain terms

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday telephoned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and extended full support to India in the fight against terrorism and emphasised that the “perpetrators of the heinous attack (Pahalgam) and their supporters must be brought to justice”.

“President Putin @KremlinRussia_E called PM @narendramodi and strongly condemned the terror attack in Pahalgam, India. He conveyed deepest condolences on the loss of innocent lives and expressed full support to India in the fight against terrorism,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on X, following the phone call. “He (Putin) emphasised that the perpetrators of the heinous attack and their supporters must be brought to justice,” Jaiswal wrote.

“Both leaders reiterated their commitment to further deepen Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership. PM conveyed greetings to President Putin on the celebration of the 80th anniversary of Victory Day and invited him for the Annual Summit to be held in India later in the year,” according to Jaiswal.

The Russian government, in its readout following the phone call, stated, “Vladimir Putin once again expressed his sincere condolences over the death of Indian citizens as a result of the barbaric terrorist attack on April 22 in Pahalgam in southern Kashmir. Both sides emphasized the need for an uncompromising fight against terrorism in all its manifestations. During the conversation, the strategic nature of Russian-Indian relations as a special privileged partnership was emphasized. These relations are not subject to external influence and continue to develop dynamically in all areas.”

Putin and Modi share a strong chemistry and the phone call is being viewed as the Russian President’s support to the PM for any action that he would take against terrorists and their backers. The phone call is also significant coming ahead of the UNSC closed-door meeting called by Pakistan (a non-permanent member of the UNSC) on the situation.

Earlier, Putin was the first world leader to write to Modi following the Pahalgam terror attack. In messages to President Draupadi Murmu and the PM on April 22, Putin wrote, “Kindly accept the sincere condolences over the tragic consequences of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam whose victims were civilians — citizens of various countries. This brutal crime has no justification whatsoever. We expect that its organizers and perpetrators will face a deserved punishment. I would like to reiterate our commitment to further increasing cooperation with Indian partners in fighting terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.”

Monday's phone call happened as Russia made fresh defence supplies to India. The Indian Army has recently received new supplies of Very Short Range Air Defence Systems (VSHORADS) or Igla-S air defence missiles from Russia as part of a

Rs 260 crore contract signed under emergency procurement powers. Russian-origin Igla-S missiles are portable, shoulder-fired weapons designed to bring down low-flying enemy aircraft, drones and helicopters with precision. ET had reported last week that Russia had assured supplies of weapons and associated materials.

Last Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a telephone conversation with External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and Lavrov emphasised on addressing India-Pakistan tensions based on bilateral pacts amid Islamabad’s attempt to internationalise the matter. The Russian deputy foreign minister had met the Indian envoy to Moscow recently and backed the Indian position following the terror attack.