India is ready to help bring an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, the country’s external affairs minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday during his visit to Kyiv.
“If India can be of any help, in any manner, we are there,” he said, standing alongside his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha, Reuters reported.
He is on a three-day visit to Ukraine and Poland from 3 to 5 September.
The foreign minister’s visit to Kyiv comes just days after Indian prime minister Narendra Modi met Russian president Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit at Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan on Monday.
During the meeting, Mr Modi told Mr Putin that “India supports all efforts towards peace, and will continue to do so”.
Mr Modi added: “We have been discussing the Ukraine issue. When we met previously, you briefed me in detail on all aspects of the matter.”
“Every day of war sets humanity back, whereas every step taken towards peace fills humanity with new hope and enthusiasm. We must move away from endless war towards an end to the war.
Honored to welcome my Indian colleague @DrSJaishankar to Kyiv for the first-ever dedicated bilateral visit of an Indian External Affairs Minister to Ukraine.
This historic moment takes place amid escalating Russian attacks against our cities, port infrastructure, and civil… pic.twitter.com/5YaJ9RWxg6
“This is crucial for the well-being of humanity. A peaceful resolution to all issues at the earliest is the call of humanity, and this is India’s message. The land of Gandhi and Buddha shares a single message: the path of peace,” he said.
The two leaders are expected to meet again soon when Mr Putin travels to India for the 18th BRICS Summit, scheduled for 12 and 13 September.
India and Russia have long maintained close ties, with Moscow remaining a major source of energy for New Delhi. India has also benefited from discounted Russian oil imports.
Last year in December Mr Modi declined to criticise Mr Putin’s war in Ukraine as he welcomed the Russian president for a two-day visit focussing on security and trade. He said that his “position is for peace” at the time.
This is Mr Jaishankar’s first standalone visit to Ukraine, nearly two years after he accompanied Mr Modi to Kyiv in August 2024. Ukraine has been at war since Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
In contrast, Mr Jaishankar has made at least 10 visits to Russia since 2019, The Indian Express reported.
His visit to Kyiv comes amid concerns over the safety of Indian nationals in Ukraine. An Indian was killed in Russian attacks on Kyiv on Tuesday – the second such death since the war began.
Sudarshan Bhabhilala, a 40-year-old man from Gujarat, was killed by a severe head injury sustained during a Russian attack in the Kyiv region. Another Indian, 35-year-old Ganesh Kalleda from Telangana, was injured.
The Indian mission in Kyiv wrote on social media: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of an Indian national in an attack in Ukraine. The embassy is in touch with the bereaved family and extends its deepest condolences.”
India’s ties with Russia have come under increasing scrutiny, particularly from the US and European governments.
Putin is also the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over alleged war crimes in Ukraine. However, as India is not a signatory to the Rome Statute, it is not legally obliged to arrest him and can host the Russian president.
