Putin dials Modi over Pahalgam attack, vows 'full support' to India in fight against terror
During the call, the Russian President also emphasised that those behind the attack and their supporters must be brought to justice.
Russian President Vladimir Putin called Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday to reiterate his condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack and to support India’s fight against terrorism and bringing the perpetrators of the incident to justice.
Putin was among the first world leaders to denounce the terror attack on April 22 that killed 26 civilians and call for its sponsors and perpetrators to be punished. Other world leaders, including US President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, have called Modi to condemn the attack.
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During his phone call with Modi, Putin “strongly condemned the terror attack in Pahalgam, India”, conveyed condolences at the loss of innocent lives and “expressed full support to India in the fight against terrorism”, external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a social media post.
Putin “emphasised that the perpetrators of the heinous attack and their supporters must be brought to justice”, Jaiswal said.
A statement from the Russian embassy quoted Putin as describing the terror attack as “barbaric” and said both sides emphasised the “need for an uncompromising fight against terrorism”.
“During the conversation, the strategic nature of Russian-Indian relations as a special privileged partnership was emphasised. These relations are not subject to external influence and continue to develop dynamically in all areas,” the statement said.
Both leaders reiterated their commitment to deepen the special and privileged strategic partnership between India and Russia.
Modi conveyed his greetings to Putin for the 80th anniversary of the Victory Day, which marks the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, and invited him to India for the annual India-Russia Summit later in the year, Jaiswal said.
Also read: Pahalgam attack aftermath: International airlines avoid Pakistani airspace amid tensions with India
Soon after the terror attack, which India has said has “cross-border linkages”, Putin formally conveyed his condolences to President Droupadi Murmu and Modi and said in his message: “There can be no justification for this brutal crime. We expect that its sponsors and perpetrators will be duly punished.”
At the time, Putin conveyed his readiness for further strengthening cooperation with Indian partners in the fight against all forms of terrorism.
The Pahalgam terror attack also figured in a phone call between external affairs minister S Jaishankar and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on Friday. Jaishankar reiterated India’s resolve to bring the “perpetrators, backers and planners” of the attack to justice.
Lavrov called for the “settlement of disagreements between New Delhi and Islamabad by political and diplomatic means on a bilateral basis in accordance with the provisions of the Simla Agreement of 1972 and the Lahore Declaration of 1999”, according to a readout from the Russian embassy.
Jaishankar and Lavrov discussed the “aggravation of Indian-Pakistani relations” following the attack, the readout said.
A day after the attack at a scenic meadow near Pahalgam, India announced a raft of punitive measures against Pakistan, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty. The Indian leadership cited “cross-border linkages” to the attack while vowing severe punishment for the perpetrators of the incident.
Last week, Modi gave the armed forces “complete operational freedom” to decide the mode, targets and timing of India’s response to the terror attack.
Pakistan has unveiled counter-measures, including closing its airspace to Indian airliners and suspending all trade with India, and said it will respond firmly to any escalatory move from the Indian side.
While Russia had invited Modi to the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow on May 9, New Delhi had initially decided that the country would be represented by defence minister Rajnath Singh. However, Singh will be unable to attend the event because of the tensions with Pakistan and India will now be represented by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth.
