India's Modi Cancels Meeting With Putin Over Ukraine War

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right) greets Russian President Vladimir Putin before a meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on December 6, 2021.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has canceled a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin set for December as Delhi seeks to distance itself from the Kremlin leader's threat to use nuclear bombs in Ukraine, Bloomberg reported, citing unidentified officials from both countries. Russia and India have held a summit every year since the beginning of the 2000s with the exception of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. An Indian official told Bloomberg that a meeting with Putin under the current circumstances would not help Modi's image. Modi criticized Putin publicly in September over his invasion of Ukraine and threat to use any weapons systems to win, saying "today's era is not an era of war." India and Russia have historically had good relations dating back to the Soviet era. To read the full story by Bloomberg, click here.