New Delhi, Sept. 2 -- India and Russia have walked shoulder to shoulder in the most difficult circumstances, and their cooperation is crucial for world peace and stability, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin as they met on Monday against the backdrop of a souring of India-US relations. India looked forward to welcoming Putin in December for an annual summit, Modi said as the two leaders met on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in the Chinese city of Tianjin. The two leaders have been in touch in recent weeks on the conflict in Ukraine, and Modi said he hoped all parties would move constructively towards a permanent peace. "Even in the most difficult circumstances, India and Russia have always walked shoulder to shoulder. Our close cooperation is important not only for the people of the two countries but also for world peace, stability, and prosperity," Modi said at the start of the meeting that lasted a little less than an hour. "At this time, 1.4 billion Indians are waiting with eagerness to welcome you for our 23rd [annual] summit in December," he said, speaking in Hindi. The two leaders met four days after Trump doubled tariffs on Indian exports, including a 25% punitive levy over Russian oil purchases, further exacerbating strains on the relationship between India and the US. Trump's aides have also criticised India's purchases of Russian military hardware and contended that the Indian side is profiteering by reselling Russian energy and funding Putin's war machine. The Indian side has said its acquisition of Russian oil and defence equipment is driven by energy security and national security. It has also defended its long-standing strategic relations with Russia and said these ties shouldn't be seen through the prism of a third country. Modi noted that he and Putin have been in regular touch and there have been several high-level meetings between the two sides in recent days, and said this reflected the depth of the bilateral special and privileged strategic partnership. He also raised the conflict in Ukraine and called for efforts to quickly end the hostilities and establish a lasting peace. "We have continuously discussed the conflict in Ukraine. We welcome all the recent peace efforts. We hope that all the parties will move forward constructively. A path has to be found to end the conflict as soon as possible and to establish permanent peace. This is the call of humanity," he said. The external affairs ministry said in a readout that the leaders discussed bilateral cooperation, including in the economic, financial, and energy sectors, and expressed satisfaction at sustained growth in these areas. They reiterated their support for further strengthening the bilateral special and privileged strategic partnership. The "disgusting" terror attack in Pahalgam was an open challenge to every country believing in humanity, and SCO members should question whether the support of terrorism by some countries is acceptable, Modi told a gathering at SCO that included his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif. This was the first time that Modi and Sharif came face to face since four days of hostilities between India and Pakistan in May. "India has been suffering the brunt of ruthless terrorism for the last four decades. So many mothers lost their children and so many children became orphans," Modi said, speaking in Hindi and without any direct reference to Pakistan's role in supporting cross-border terrorism....