Jaishankar visits Ukraine and Poland, reiterates India's readiness to help end Russia-Ukraine war

External affairs minister S Jaishankar speaking in Kyiv said that India is ready to contribute to efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war “in any manner” possible. “If India can be of any help, in any manner, we are there,” Jaishankar said, as quoted by news agency Reuters. Jaishankar is on a three-day visit to Ukraine and Poland from September 3 to 5, his first visit to Kyiv since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

During the visit, he is holding bilateral consultations with Sybiha as well as Polish Deputy Prime Minister Radoslaw Sikorski. Jaishankar’s remarks come days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi renewed his call for an end to the conflict during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek. “Every day spent in the war pushes humanity back. And every step taken towards peace fills humanity with new hope and enthusiasm. We will have to move from an endless war to an end of war, which is very important for humanity's well-being,” PM Modi said.

He added: “That all issues are resolved peacefully as soon as possible is the call of humanity. This is the message of India. This is the message of the land of Gandhi and the land of Buddha - the path to peace.” PM Modi has repeatedly called for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the conflict. In 2022, he told Putin that “this is not the era of war”, while during his 2024 visit to Moscow, he said that no solution could be found on the battlefield.

Jaishankar’s Kyiv visit comes amid heightened hostilities and concerns in New Delhi after an Indian was killed in the Ukrainian capital this week following a Russian strike. India has also raised concerns over attacks on merchant vessels in the Black Sea.