‘Terrorism Must be Fought Uncompromisingly’: Putin, Modi Agree in Phone Call

New Delhi: In their first conversation since the Pahalgam terror attack, Russian President Vladimir Putin affirmed with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that terrorism must be fought “uncompromisingly”.

Putin’s strong public support for India came just two days after his foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, had urged New Delhi and Islamabad to avoid military escalation and resolve their differences through bilateral dialogue.

Immediately after the April 22 terror attack that killed 26 civilians in Kashmir, Putin had written to both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu, expressing condolences and saying he hoped the “organisers and perpetrators will receive the punishment they deserve”.

Following Monday’s phone call between the two leaders, Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Putin had reiterated that demand for accountability.

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. He emphasised that the…

— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) May 5, 2025

In the Kremlin readout, Putin expressed his condolences for the “barbaric attack”. “Both leaders emphasised terrorism must be fought against uncompromisingly in all its forms,” it said.

Blaming Pakistan for the attack, India announced a series of steps to downgrade bilateral ties, including placing the Indus Waters Treaty “in abeyance”. Pakistan responded with its own measures and warned that any disruption of water flow would be met with the “full spectrum of national power.”

Several countries, including the United States, urged both India and Pakistan to avoid military escalation and work towards a peaceful resolution. Pakistan has meanwhile claimed that India is preparing for a military operation similar to the cross-border strikes of 2016 and 2019.

On May 3, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov told his Indian counterpart that Moscow had “called to settle the differences between New Delhi and Islamabad by political and diplomatic means on a bilateral basis in conformity with the 1972 Simla Agreement and the 1999 Lahore Declaration.”

Although India is unlikely to welcome talk of engagement with Pakistan at this stage, Russia sought to strike a balance by referring to the very agreements that New Delhi considers as the basis for a bilateral approach to the dispute.

Pakistan had threatened to withdraw from all bilateral agreements, including the Simla Pact, but has yet to issue any formal notification.