Putin pledges 'full support' to India after Pahalgam attack
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Russian President Vladimir Putin has condemned the Pahalgam terror attack and assured India of his full support in its fight against terrorism.
"He emphasized that the perpetrators of the heinous attack and their supporters must be brought to justice," Putin said during a phone call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to the External Affairs Ministry.
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Putin condemns Pahalgam attack, calls for justice
"PM conveyed greetings to President Putin on...the 80th anniversary of Victory Day and invited him for the Annual Summit to be held in India later in the year," the MEA added.
Just a day earlier, Pakistan had sought diplomatic intervention from Russia to help temper rising tensions with India.
"I think Russia or China...can play a very, very positive role...they can even set up an investigation team...to investigate whether India is lying," Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said.
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Pakistan's ambassador to Moscow calls for Russia's intervention
In an interview with Russia's state-run TASS news agency, Pakistan's ambassador to Moscow, Mohammad Khalid Jamali, also said Islamabad believes Russia can play a mediating role, citing Russia's previous role in Indo-Pak disputes.
He expressed hope that Russia use its dual relationship to play a positive mediating role, as it did in 1966 during the Tashkent discussions that helped resolve the armed confrontation between India and Pakistan.
Bilateral relations
Strengthening India-Russia ties amid rising tensions
Apart from talking about the Pahalgam attack, Putin and Modi also concentrated on strengthening ties between their two countries.
Both reiterated their commitment to further deepen the India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership.
Putin was among the first foreign leaders to condemn the April 22 terror attack. Other foreign leaders, including US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, have also contacted Modi to denounce the incident.