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 on Thursday met Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha in Kyiv and extended India’s support to find a diplomatic solution to the war. He said incidents of attacks on commercial shipping in the Black Sea region were affecting developing economies of the Global South in areas such as energy security, agriculture production and food shortages.
Upon meeting Mr. Zelenskyy, Mr. Jaishankar said, “Our conversation centred on approaches to end the ongoing conflict.”
“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, and this was the core of my discussion so far with Foreign Minister Sybiha,” said Mr. Jaishankar, referring to Mr. Modi’s remarks in Bishkek, where he had said, “endless war must now give way to the end of war”. He reiterated the Indian position against the war and said, the war “regrettably is now in its fifth year”. In response to a question on India’s continued purchase of Russian oil, Mr. Jaishankar said halting of the Ukraine-Russia war did not depend on whether a country was buying oil or not, and added, “This conflict will be solved by dialogue, by diplomacy and by negotiation.”
Killing of Indian sailors
The Black Sea has emerged as the maritime frontier of the Ukraine vs Russia war leading to several incidents, especially in the last few months, of killing of Indian sailors who were working in commercial shipping vessels that were targeted by both sides. Mr. Jaishankar raised the need to ensure safety of commercial vessels in the Black Sea region and stated, “Indian seafarers man ships of many flags and have been among the unfortunate casualties.”
“The impact on shipping is also significantly affecting many nations of the Global South in a variety of ways leading to fuel, fertilizer and food shortages,” the External Affairs Minister said. He further mentioned India’s humanitarian contribution to Ukraine over the past five years, saying New Delhi had sent 19 consignments of relief materials that included generator sets, medicines, medical equipment etc.
