Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday said it is difficult to specify a timeline for ending the prolonged war in Ukraine but asserted that his country will win, as he appreciated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s concern over the situation. Days before his hosting of the 16th BRICS Summit, Putin also endorsed Modi's description of the grouping, saying the Indian leader had "aptly" noted that it is "not an anti-western one but a non-western one." He also made it clear that the grouping, which has since been expanded from five initial members to include five more countries, should not be seen as a "bloc-style organisation.
" Modi is due to visit Kazan to attend the summit on October 22-23. At an interaction with senior Editors from BRICS countries at his official residence Novo-Ogaryovo, about 50 km from Moscow, the Russian leader also indicated he could discuss giving Indian movies another boost when he meets Modi. Asked by PTI whether he saw a role for India in negotiating peace between Russia and Ukraine, he referred to the concern expressed by Modi, whom he described as a “friend”.
He said Russia was "grateful" for this. Modi had told Putin on the phone on August 27 that he backed an early, peaceful resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, days after he held talks with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv. He had also visited Moscow in July.
In his remarks on September 5, Putin had identified India, China, and Brazil as the countries with which Russia was .