India offers any help for Russia-Ukraine peace during Jaishankar's Kyiv talks

Kyiv,UPDATED: Sep 3, 2026 19:28 IST

India on Thursday said it was ready to extend "any help in any manner" to end the Ukraine-Russia war, as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held wide-ranging talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha in Kyiv. In a joint press statement after the talks, Jaishankar said India had consistently argued that the conflict must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.

Jaishankar said his visit was focused on the prospects of talks between the two sides and that he would take back the views shared by the Ukrainian side. Sybiha welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to move from an endless war towards an end to the war, saying Ukraine "stands ready for diplomacy".

"India has consistently maintained that this is not an era of war, and that solutions will not emerge from the battlefield," Jaishankar said. He recalled that Modi, during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Bishkek on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit two days ago, had said that endless war must now give way to the end of war. "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," he said.

Earlier, Sybiha said in a post on X, "India is a global power and we welcome Prime Minister Modi's call to move from an endless war towards an end to the war." Jaishankar, who arrived in Kyiv amid escalating hostilities between Moscow and Kyiv, said the trip also came in the larger context of the war underway since 2022. "Only two days ago, an Indian national was also killed in an attack in Kyiv. We join in mourning every life lost and convey our deepest sympathy to every affected family," he said.

Jaishankar said India had also raised concerns over attacks on merchant ships in the Black Sea. Recalling their recent interactions, he said, "Our conversation today was very free and very open." He added, "There were also some specific aspects of this conflict that came up in our discussions. Prominent among them was attacks on commercial shipping. Indian seafarers man ships of many flags and have been among the unfortunate casualties." He said the impact on shipping was affecting many countries of the Global South through fuel, fertiliser and food shortages, and that the two sides exchanged views on these issues.

He also referred to India's humanitarian relief for Ukraine, including 19 consignments of assistance. On bilateral ties, Jaishankar said trade covered pharmaceuticals, food and agriculture, fertilisers, machinery, chemicals and consumer goods. He said the war and logistical problems had disrupted trade in the past four years, but there had also been resilience and some new possibilities. "We are very much aware that Ukraine has deep strengths and capabilities. India too is developing at a rapid pace. And some of these notable areas of progress are in digital capabilities, innovation and startups. The world of AI offers new openings in health, education, agriculture, even in governance," he said. Jaishankar also invited Sybiha to visit India for the next meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission, as both sides reviewed the war's impact and discussed diplomacy, shipping, aid and bilateral cooperation.

With PTI Inputs

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