Condemning Pahalgam attack, Russian Prez Putin assures PM Modi of ‘full support’ against terrorism

Following a deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that claimed the lives of 25 tourists and a local resident, Russian President Vladimir Putin called Prime Minister Narendra Modi to express condolences and strongly condemn the incident.

The call came at a critical moment, as speculation emerged from Pakistan about potential international involvement in the investigation.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, President Putin assured India of Russia's "full support" in the fight against terrorism and emphasized that "the perpetrators of the heinous attack and their supporters must be brought to justice."

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on X, saying, "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."

The Kremlin also confirmed that President Putin accepted Prime Minister Modi’s invitation to visit India later this year for the Annual Summit, highlighting the sustained momentum in bilateral ties.

“PM conveyed greetings to President Putin on the celebration of the 80th anniversary of Victory Day and invited him for the Annual Summit to be held in India later in the year,” Jaiswal added.

This interaction follows comments by Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, who suggested that countries like Russia, China, or Western powers could help investigate the attack.

In an interview with Russia's leading news agency, Asif said, "I think Russia or China or even Western countries can play a very, very positive role in this crisis, and they can even set up an investigation team... to investigate whether India or Modi is lying or he is telling the truth."

The Pakistani minister further said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif supports an international probe, questioning India’s claims and demanding evidence linking Pakistan to the attack.

The Resistance Front, a proxy outfit of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has claimed responsibility for the deadly assault carried out on April 22.

Despite such diplomatic undercurrents, ties between Moscow and New Delhi remain robust. India has continued to deepen its partnership with Russia, particularly during the Ukraine conflict, maintaining energy imports despite Western sanctions.

President Putin and PM Modi also share a strong personal rapport. During Modi’s last visit to Russia in October, Putin remarked, "Our relationship is so strong that you will understand me without any translation."