India Engages in Talks with Ukraine and Russia Amid Ongoing Conflict

India's Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on, Monday stated. that his country is in touch with both Ukraine and Russia over the ongoing conflict. Emphasizing that even a limited agreement between the two sides would be a positive development.

Jaishankar said that from the beginning, India has held that the conflict is unlikely to be resolved on the battlefield.

Jaishankar explained that India started the latest round of conversations with both sides in July this year. After commercial ships came under attack from both sides in the Black Sea. The minister said that those conversations brought out the nature of the cargo being shipped and led to discussions about grain exports.

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Jaishankar said that the conversations started with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Bishkek in August. After that, he went to Kyiv to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

This was followed by another discussion between Modi and Putin in New Delhi on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.

We still keep in touch with both sides, Jaishankar said. They added that resolving concerns about grain, fertiliser and fuel are in India's as well as the Global South's interest.

Jaishankar also spoke about India's record on rising to challenges, saying, "we have been able to rise to the challenges, whether it was Covid, or the challenge of a double conflict today".

noting that the challenges of energy, food, fertilisers — we need to factor them into our thinking, plan and respond, he said. in a sense is the task before us. And I'm very confident that we will rise to the challenge.

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Jaishankar also spoke about championing the voice of the Global South. Saying, The Global South expects India to articulate on the world stage.

On reforms needed for the United Nations and other multilateral institutions. Jaishankar said, The UN is gridlocked adding that a few countries were resisting its reforms.

However, he shared that the US is one of India's principal strategic partners — our largest economic account, our biggest trade account, it is a very major critical defence partner.