In Kiev, Jaishankar offers India help in stopping the Ukraine-Russia war

Foreign Minister S. ‌Jaishankar and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriiy Sybiha during their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine on September 3, 2026. | Photo credit: AP

Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for an end to the war in Ukraine during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Bishkek on the sidelines of the SCO summit, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha in Kyiv on Thursday and extended India’s support for a diplomatic solution to the war. He said incidents of attacks on commercial shipping in the Black Sea region affect developing economies in the Global South in areas such as energy security, agricultural production and food insecurity.

On meeting Mr Zelenskyy, Mr Jaishankar said: “Our conversation focused on approaches to ending the ongoing conflict.”

“Each passing day of the conflict only means more deaths and more destruction. Understandably, it is up to the parties involved to find a way. But if India can help in any way, we are ready and that has been at the heart of my discussion so far with Foreign Secretary Sybiha,” Mr Jaishankar said, referring to Mr Modi’s remarks in Bishkek, where he now had to say the end of the war, “there must be a non-war war”. He reiterated India’s stance against the war, saying the war was “unfortunately now in its fifth year”. Responding to a question about India’s continued purchase of Russian oil, Mr Jaishankar said that stopping the Ukraine-Russia war does not depend on whether the country buys oil or not, adding: “This conflict will be resolved through dialogue, diplomacy and negotiation.

Killing Indian sailors

The Black Sea has emerged as the maritime border of the Ukraine-Russia war, which has led to several incidents, particularly in the past few months, of the killing of Indian sailors working on commercial vessels targeted by both sides. Highlighting the need to ensure the safety of merchant vessels in the Black Sea region, Mr Jaishankar said: “Indian sailors command ships of many flags and are among the unfortunate victims.”

“The impact on shipping is also significantly affecting many countries in the Global South in various ways, leading to fuel, fertilizer and food shortages,” the foreign minister said. He further mentioned India’s humanitarian contribution to Ukraine in the last five years and said that New Delhi had sent 19 consignments of humanitarian material which included generators, medicines, medical equipment etc.

Published – 03 Sep 2026 17:04 IST