NEW DELHI, India / AsiaWire.IO / – Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that India is ready to contribute to all efforts aimed at a peaceful resolution of the conflict. The two leaders spoke by telephone on Monday, November 9, according to the Press Information Bureau. Zelenskyy shared his perspective on recent developments in the ongoing war with Russia. They also discussed ways to further strengthen India-Ukraine cooperation across various sectors.
Modi reaffirmed India’s human-centric approach to the conflict, his office said. He reiterated India’s consistent position that the war must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy. In a post on X, Modi described the call as productive and said the two sides had reviewed their wide-ranging bilateral cooperation. He thanked Zelenskyy for sharing his views on the humanitarian aspects of the conflict and on efforts to restore peace.
The call came a day before Russian, Ukrainian and US officials opened a new round of trilateral peace talks in Abu Dhabi. The talks, which began on November 10, are the first direct round since February. Earlier US-mediated rounds were held in Abu Dhabi in January and February and in Geneva in February. The UAE has also played a role in mediating prisoner exchanges between Moscow and Kyiv.
Zelenskyy seeks India’s support
Zelenskyy said he briefed Modi on the latest diplomatic developments and that Kyiv was actively preparing for every item on the Abu Dhabi agenda. He said Ukraine has always taken a constructive approach and that Russia must show the same readiness to de-escalate. He added that it was important for India to identify steps it could take, and dialogue it could pursue with other leaders, to help end the war.
The Ukrainian leader said the two discussed Russia’s blocking of grain exports via the Black Sea. According to Zelenskyy, India is ready to mediate in establishing food corridors, and Kyiv is counting on those efforts to continue. He said blocked sea routes were hurting the global economy and hundreds of millions of people. Zelenskyy’s office said the two teams would stay in touch on bilateral issues.
India keeps channels open with both sides
India has maintained ties with both Moscow and Kyiv throughout the conflict. Modi visited Kyiv in August 2024, the first visit by an Indian prime minister since Ukraine’s independence in 1991. He has also held regular talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, including at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit. Zelenskyy noted that Modi has said more than once, including directly to Putin, that now is the time to end the war.
The Abu Dhabi talks are being held with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Sharp differences remain over territory, with Moscow demanding all of the Donetsk region and Kyiv pressing to freeze the conflict along the current front line. No new agreement or peace initiative was announced after the Modi-Zelenskyy call. Both leaders agreed to keep working to strengthen ties between India and Ukraine.