India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar Says India in Continuous Touch with Ukraine and Russia to Mitigate Conflict

File photo: Minister of external affairs S Jaishankar

NEW DELHI: External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Friday said India has been in continuous touch with both Ukraine and Russia and is exploring whether ideas and suggestions can be developed to contribute to the mitigation and, ideally, the cessation of the conflict. Jaishankar made the remarks in Warsaw after holding talks with Poland's deputy Prime Minister and foreign minister Radosław Sikorski, a day after he met the top Ukrainian leadership in Kyiv.

‘Endless war must give way to an end to war’

Addressing a joint press meet with Sikorski, Jaishankar said the two leaders discussed major global and regional issues, including the war in Ukraine, which is now in its fifth year. “The deputy Prime Minister and I also understandably discussed some major global and regional issues, notable among them is the war in Ukraine, now in its fifth year... I myself have just come here from Kyiv,” he said. Replying to a question, Jaishankar said India remained in touch with both sides. “What we are trying to do is to see if there are ideas and suggestions which can be developed in some way in which they will contribute to the mitigation, ideally, the cessation of the conflict,” he added. Jaishankar reiterated India's position that the conflict must end through dialogue and diplomacy. “India believes that endless war must give way to an end to war. These are wars without winners. Every additional day means more death, more destruction, more loss to the parties themselves, and more cost to the rest of the world,” he said. “Our efforts must therefore focus on promoting dialogue and diplomacy. We must each do what we can in whichever way we believe could be most effective and support the efforts of others to bring this conflict to an end. This is India's strong conviction, and we are acting on it,” he added.

Jaishankar rejects trade link to ending war

Responding to a question on India's purchases of Russian oil, Jaishankar said the solution to the conflict lay in negotiations rather than trade. “This war is not going to end... not because somebody chose to buy or not buy oil or alumina or fertilisers or metals and minerals. It will end when there is diplomacy, when there is dialogue and when there is negotiation. So, I think let's diagnose the problem right,” he said. A day earlier in Kyiv, Jaishankar had met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and foreign minister Andrii Sybiha and said India was ready to extend “any help in any manner” to help end the war. Following the meeting, Zelenskyy said he was “grateful to India for its commitment to ending this unjust war”.

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India-Poland talks cover trade, technology and security

Jaishankar and Sikorski also discussed complex global challenges, including supply chain resilience and food, fuel and fertiliser security. The two ministers reviewed the progress of the India-Poland Joint Action Plan 2024-28, covering areas including trade and investment, space, digital technology, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, defence, education, shipping, mining and energy. Jaishankar also called on Polish President Karol Nawrocki and discussed the trajectory of the India-Poland Strategic Partnership, as well as the Ukraine conflict and developments in West Asia.

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