EAM Jaishankar Affirms India’s Readiness to Help End the Ongoing Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Union External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar said Thursday that India stands ready to help end the war between Russia and Ukraine, offering New Delhi's assistance in any capacity that might prove useful to the peace process. Speaking to reporters in the Ukrainian capital alongside Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Jaishankar said, "If India can be of any help, in any manner, we are there," signaling New Delhi's continued willingness to play a constructive role in efforts to resolve the conflict, now well into its fifth year.

Jaishankar's remarks came as part of a three-day official visit to Ukraine and Poland, running from September 3 to 5, aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and exchanging views on regional security developments alongside the broader fallout from the Russia-Ukraine war. His trip began in Warsaw on September 2, where he held consultations with Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, before traveling onward to Kyiv for talks with his Ukrainian counterpart. The two foreign ministers had also spoken by phone on August 26, during which Sybiha briefed Jaishankar on developments in the Black Sea region, including intensified attacks on ports and maritime shipping routes.

The visit assumes particular significance given that Ukraine has publicly signaled its interest in India playing a more active role in international efforts toward peace, with Kyiv having previously described New Delhi's voice as an "authoritative" one in broader diplomatic engagement on the conflict. India's Ministry of External Affairs has described the current visit as focused on enhancing bilateral relations and discussing regional developments and issues of mutual interest between the two countries, reflecting New Delhi's continued balancing act of maintaining engagement with both Kyiv and Moscow throughout the course of the war.

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The trip also follows a recent Russian aerial assault across Ukraine in which an Indian citizen was among 12 people killed, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who expressed condolences to all those who lost family members in the attack. Following Zelenskyy's statement, the Indian Embassy in Kyiv confirmed it was in contact with the family of the Indian national involved and was providing assistance to facilitate the early repatriation of the remains, adding a further layer of significance to Jaishankar's visit at this particular moment in the conflict.

India's position throughout the war has consistently emphasized dialogue and diplomacy as the only viable path toward a fair and lasting resolution, a stance New Delhi has reiterated repeatedly at senior levels, including through past communications between Jaishankar and his Ukrainian counterparts affirming India's support for an early end to the conflict and the establishment of enduring peace. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also engaged directly with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelenskyy on multiple occasions since the war began, consistently pressing both sides to pursue a peaceful resolution rather than continued military confrontation.

With global attention increasingly focused on developments in the Black Sea region and India set to host the upcoming BRICS Summit in New Delhi later this month, Jaishankar's visit to Kyiv and Warsaw underscores India's continued effort to remain a relevant and engaged voice in the diplomacy surrounding one of the world's most consequential ongoing conflicts, even as questions remain about what concrete role, if any, New Delhi might play in eventually helping to broker a lasting settlement between the two warring nations.

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