India is ready to extend “any help in any manner” to end the Ukraine-Russia war, which is now in its fifth year, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday as he held wide-ranging talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha in Kyiv.
“India has consistently maintained that this is not an era of war, and that solutions will not emerge from the battlefield,” he said in a joint press statement alongside Sybiha after their talks.
Jaishankar recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi just two days ago declared that endless war must now give way to the end of war during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Bishkek on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.
“Every passing day of conflict only means more deaths and more destruction. Understandably, it is for the parties involved to find a way. But, if India can be of any help in any manner, we are ready,” he said.
India has been consistently calling for ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.
Jaishankar later called on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and apprised him of his discussions with the Ukrainian counterpart on deepening bilateral cooperation.
“Our conversation centered on approaches to end the ongoing conflict,” said the minister, who had earlier mentioned that he would convey the greetings and good wishes of PM Modi to the President.
In a post on X, Zelenskyy said he was “grateful to India for its commitment to ending this unjust war.” “This certainly must not be a time of war. Peace is needed. This is India’s clear position,” he said and hoped that other major world powers would also take a clear stance that this war must end and that a reliable peace must be achieved.
“Of course, we discussed the situation in the Black Sea, including the existing threats to civilian shipping. We concur that it is absolutely unacceptable to block food supplies to regions where this is a highly sensitive issue and where people depend on these maritime routes,” Zelenskyy said.
He said Russia’s actions aimed at blocking Ukrainian ports, its food corridor, and supplies are causing major disruption to global relations. “We must all work together to guarantee security,” he said.
He also added that while the Indian minister was in Kyiv, Russia once again launched jet-powered ‘shaheds.’ “Thanks to our combat aviation, the delegation was safe, because it is Ukrainian fighter jets that shoot down most of these drones,” he added.
Jaishankar, who arrived here amid escalating hostilities between Moscow and Kyiv, said his trip has a “bilateral purpose”.
“But more important, it takes place in the larger context of the war that has been underway since 2022. Only two days ago, an Indian national was also killed in an attack in Kyiv. We join in mourning every life lost and convey our deepest sympathy to every affected family,” he said.
India has also been concerned over a series of attacks on merchant ships in the Black Sea in the last few weeks.
Recalling his multiple interactions with the Ukrainian minister in the last few months, Jaishankar said, “Our conversation today was very free and very open.” “There were also some specific aspects of this conflict that came up in our discussions. Prominent among them was attacks on commercial shipping. Indian seafarers man ships of many flags and have been among the unfortunate casualties,” he said.
He said the impact on shipping is also significantly affecting many nations of the Global South in a variety of ways, leading to fuel, fertiliser and food shortages. “So we exchanged views on these and related matters.” He also mentioned India’s contribution to humanitarian relief and assistance to Ukraine, including the supply of 19 consignments of humanitarian assistance.
On the bilateral front, Jaishankar said the trade between the two countries spans a wide range of sectors, from pharmaceuticals, food & agriculture and fertilisers to machinery, chemicals and consumer goods.
“Understandably, in the last four years, this trade has seen some disruption due to the war situation and logistical challenges. At the same time, there has been a visible resilience, and some new possibilities have emerged,” he said, adding that they will address the challenges.
“We are very much aware that Ukraine has deep strengths and capabilities. India too is developing at a rapid pace. And some of these notable areas of progress are in digital capabilities, innovation and startups. The world of AI offers new openings in health, education, agriculture, even in governance,” he said.
In a statement, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said that the two ministers discussed in detail peace efforts, the security situation in the Black Sea and freedom of navigation, global food security, nuclear threats posed by Russia, as well as the further development of Ukrainian-Indian relations.
Sybiha stressed that the consequences of Russia’s actions in the Black Sea extend far beyond Ukraine.
“Blocking vital routes for the supply of Ukrainian food threatens millions of people around the world with hunger and crisis. We are grateful to India for its attention and joint efforts to address this problem,” he said, underscoring India’s role as a global power, including in engaging a broader range of countries.
The two ministers separately focused on the peace process and opportunities for India’s more active involvement in international efforts to end the war, it said.
“As Prime Minister Modi recently said in Putin’s presence, it is time to put an end to the endless war. We support this position. Ukraine is ready to end the war, and we have realistic proposals. It is time to move to diplomacy,” Sybiha stressed.
Sybiha noted that trade turnover between Ukraine and India currently stands at USD 2.6 billion and that there is still significant potential for further growth.
“Ukraine regards India as an important partner. We look forward to India’s continued support for the principles of the UN Charter, Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, freedom of navigation and international law,” he stated.
Earlier, the Ukrainian minister welcomed PM Modi’s call to move from an endless war towards an end to the war, saying his country “stands ready for diplomacy.” Jaishankar invited Sybiha to visit India at his convenience for the next meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission.
He also said that education has been another longstanding area of activity, noting that there are many Indian students currently studying in Ukraine.
In a post on X, Sybiha welcomed Jaishankar to Kyiv for “the first-ever dedicated bilateral visit of an Indian External Affairs Minister to Ukraine.” “This historic moment takes place amid escalating Russian attacks against our cities, port infrastructure, and civil shipping. Our capital is constantly under attack, and I appreciate my colleague’s brave visit,” he added.
Jaishankar concluded his visit by paying homage to Mahatma Gandhi at the National Botanical Garden in Kyiv. “His life and message underline the need to move from endless war to the end of war,” the minister added.
