Samarkand: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin that now was "not a time for war" on Friday on the sidelines of a regional summit, television images showed.

"Excellency, I know today's time is not a time for war," Modi told Putin in Samarkand as the two leaders began their first face-to-face meeting since Moscow's forces invaded Ukraine, footage showed on Indian public service broadcaster Doordashan.