'We rely on India's authoritative voice': Amid Trump's pressure, Ukraine looks at India as active partner in peace efforts

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday (September 4) reaffirmed India’s position that the war in Ukraine must come to a close at the earliest, following a phone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha. According to Jaishankar, the two leaders spoke about strengthening bilateral ties and exchanged views on the ongoing conflict. “India continues to favour an early resolution of the crisis and supports the creation of a durable peace,” he posted on X. Sharing details of the exchange, Sybiha said he briefed Jaishankar on the ground situation in Ukraine and Kyiv’s efforts to secure a “just and lasting peace.” He added that Ukraine values India’s “influential voice” and hopes New Delhi will play a proactive part in ending the hostilities and backing wider peace initiatives.

Both ministers agreed to meet later this month during the high-level week of the UN General Assembly in New York. Sybiha noted that the agenda would include expanding cooperation in politics, trade, technology, and other areas.

Their talks came just days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, where Modi underlined that peace efforts must not be delayed and that the world has a collective duty to end the bloodshed.

Before Modi’s meeting with Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had spoken to the Indian leader by phone. Zelensky later said India had expressed readiness to take initiatives and convey clear signals to Moscow in the pursuit of peace. India has consistently urged that the war be resolved through dialogue and negotiation rather than through continued fighting. During a visit to Moscow in July last year, Modi told Putin that peace cannot be achieved amid “bombs and bullets.” A month later, in Kyiv, Modi conveyed the same message to Zelensky, urging both Russia and Ukraine to sit across the table without further delay.