Responding to a question on India's position on the war during a press conference on Friday, State Department's Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said, "We would take PM Modi at his words and welcome those comments when they took place. Other countries will make their own decision on engagement with Russia. We continue to coordinate with allies to mitigate impacts of war."?

When asked about India's role in stopping the Russia-Ukraine war, the State Department spokesperson said, "Any country that's interested in engaging in peace and interested in ending this (Russia-Ukraine) war must do so in close partnership with Ukrainian partners."

Patel's comments came hours after PM Modi's telephonic conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

PM Modi's calls for dialogue and diplomacy to end the conflict

Earlier in September, along the sidelines of the SCO summit in Samarkand, PM Modi had similarly garnered praise for his remarks to Putin when he said that "today's era isn't of war." Modi had also urged Putin to find ways to ensure food, energy, and fertiliser security against the backdrop of the Kremlin's "special military operation" in Ukraine, that has led to rising food and fuel prices globally.?

On Friday, the Prime Minister reiterated his call for dialogue and diplomacy to end the devastating war.?

"Following up on their meeting in Samarkand on the sidelines of the SCO Summit, the two leaders reviewed several aspects of the bilateral relationship, including energy cooperation, trade and investments, defence and security cooperation, and other key areas," the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement.

"Prime Minister briefed President Putin on India's ongoing Presidency of the G-20, highlighting its key priorities. He also looked forward to both countries working together during India's Chairship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation," the PMO statement added.

India's stance on Russia's 'special military operation'

The two leaders have agreed to stay in touch with each other. India has so far not openly condemned the Kremlin's special military operation in Ukraine and has continued to import huge quantities of oil from Russia despite the western sanctions.?

In fact, Moscow emerged as the top oil supplier for New Delhi for the second month in a row in November as per oil tracker Vortex. India has time and again defended its decision to trade with Russia at global forums.

The war has however cost the Russian economy as many investors have pulled out of the country in the wake of the war, which started in February. Resultantly, the Russian Central Bank on Friday said that the country's GDP is expected to contract by 3% in 2022 as high inflation continues to ravage the economy.?