Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, at a Shanghai Cooperation Organization gathering that also included the leaders of China and Iran.

Modi called on Putin to seek a settlement of the Ukraine conflict instead of letting it continue, language Indian and Russian reports called more direct than his earlier public remarks. India has not joined efforts to isolate Russia economically and still buys large volumes of Russian oil.

Modi later said the two reviewed energy, space, fertilizer, and other bilateral work. Putin replied that talks on Ukraine were advancing and that commercial and personal ties with India were growing.