In a rare endorsement of a position taken by the Union government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday backed the BJP's stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, saying he would respond similarly to the issue.

Rahul made the remark while putting forth his view on how the Congress would assess India's bilateral ties with Russia in light of the ongoing military conflict with Ukraine.

He was fielding questions from journalists during a free-wheeling conversation at the National Press Club in Washington on Thursday.

Responding to a question, the Congress leader stressed the significance of India's bilateral ties with Russia, which goes back decades.

"I would respond (to Russia) similarly to what the BJP did. We (Congress) would be responding in a similar way (to the Russia-Ukraine conflict). Because India has that sort of relationship with Russia and that can't be denied. Our policy would be similar," said Rahul.