Zelensky described the phone call as productive and briefed Modi on the latest diplomatic developments regarding the war. The Ukrainian president specifically proposed that India take a leading role in ensuring uninterrupted food supplies through the Black Sea. He suggested that India identify specific steps and pursue dialogue with other world leaders to help end the war, noting that food security is a critical area where India can mediate the establishment of food corridors.
“It is important that India identify what steps it can take and what dialogue it can pursue with other leaders to help bring the war to an end,” Zelensky said in a social media post. He emphasized that Russia must understand that the global economy and hundreds of millions of people are suffering due to blocked sea routes. Zelensky also noted that Modi has previously stated, including directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin, that the time has come to end the war rather than continue it.
The diplomatic engagement comes as peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv resume after a nine-month lull. The upcoming meeting in Abu Dhabi is expected to focus on security guarantees aimed at preventing the conflict from restarting if a truce is reached. Previous negotiations had stalled over Russian demands for Ukraine to cede approximately 2,000 square miles of territory.
India’s current diplomatic posture builds upon a three-part truce proposal delivered by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar during a visit to Kyiv on September 3. The proposal, which was welcomed by both Russia and Ukraine, aims to halt attacks on energy facilities and infrastructure, keep grain and energy flowing through the Black Sea, and end strikes on commercial shipping. This framework is considered more comprehensive than separate ceasefire proposals from Egypt, Turkey, and the US, which have focused primarily on grain flows or an energy ceasefire.
Jaishankar’s visit occurred three days after Modi met with Putin on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Kyrgyzstan on August 31. During that meeting, the Indian prime minister urged the Russian leader to move from an “endless war to the end of war.” A readout from the Indian government confirmed that Modi conveyed India’s human-centric approach and its consistent position that the conflict must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.
The immediate focus now shifts to the US-hosted trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, where Ukraine and Russia are expected to address the agenda of security guarantees and de-escalation measures.
