India willing to play a role in Ukraine conflict: Jaishankar

New Delhi, Aug 23: In a press conference today, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar highlighted India’s ongoing diplomatic efforts to support peace in the Ukraine conflict. Reflecting on the diplomatic engagement between India and Ukraine, he noted that this was the Prime Minister’s fourth meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, alongside seven telephone conversations aimed at fostering dialogue and cooperation.

When questioned about India’s potential role as a mediator, especially given Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meetings with leaders from both sides, Jaishankar emphasized India’s commitment to peace.

“Anything we can do to help—whether upfront, behind the scenes or in a supportive capacity—it is the objective we are interested in rather than the process,” he stated. “We are willing to do whatever we can because we do think that the continuation of this conflict is terrible for Ukraine, obviously, and for the world as well.”

Addressing concerns when asked about India’s oil imports from Russia, particularly in light of global sanctions, Jaishankar clarified India’s position. “India is a big oil consumer and importer. It’s not a political strategy to buy oil, but a market strategy,” he explained. “The figures for oil we get go up and down. The market is tight, and big suppliers like Iran and Venezuela are under constraints. I think this is a factor that needs to be considered.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Ukraine on August 23, 2024, marked an important visit to encourage India-Ukraine relations, more so after visiting Moscow and meeting Putin last month. Both leaders expressed a mutual interest in elevating their relationship from a comprehensive partnership to a strategic partnership in the future.

During the visit, Modi and Zelenskyy reviewed the positive trajectory of bilateral relations that have significantly strengthened over the past three decades. They acknowledged the role of regular engagements between India and Ukraine, including meetings in Apulia in June 2024 and Hiroshima in May 2023 on the margins of the G7 Summits, as well as the visit of Ukraine’s Foreign Minister to New Delhi in March 2024.

Multiple interactions between high-level officials, such as the 9th round of Foreign Office Consultations held in Kyiv in July 2023, have further enhanced mutual understanding, trust, and cooperation. Both nations reaffirmed their commitment to further developing bilateral ties for the benefit of their peoples, based on mutual trust, respect, and openness.