India Holding Direct Conversations With Russia, Ukraine to End Conflict: Jaishankar

India has stepped up efforts to help resolve the Ukraine conflict by engaging directly with both Russia and Ukraine, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Sunday, signalling a shift from New Delhi's earlier focus on advocating dialogue and diplomacy.

Speaking at the Munich Leaders' Meeting in New Delhi, Jaishankar said India had been advocating negotiations for years but had become “a little bit more involved beyond advocacy” in recent months.

“We have conversations with both Russia and Ukraine in this regard,” he said, adding that India was initially focusing on Black Sea shipping safety and was now discussing issues including grain exports, energy supplies and possibilities of non-attack arrangements. “These are ongoing conversations right now,” Jaishankar said.

His remarks came days after Russian President Vladimir Putin said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had “good ideas” to find a mutually acceptable solution to the conflict. Ukraine Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha had also said Kyiv received separate proposals from India and three other countries for a possible ceasefire.

Jaishankar reiterated India's longstanding position that the conflict must end through dialogue and diplomacy, while underlining New Delhi's historically close ties with Moscow.

India and Russia have maintained strong relations since the 1950s, he said, recalling the Soviet Union's support for India when its security and territorial integrity faced challenges. However, Jaishankar noted that the relationship has expanded substantially, encompassing trade, investment, energy, defence, nuclear cooperation and space.

On the broader geopolitical environment, he highlighted the repositioning of the United States and the rise of China, saying their competition was accompanied by increasing interdependence. He said emerging and middle powers were increasingly pursuing de-risking and diversification in their economies, security arrangements and supply chains.

The emerging architecture, he said, would be based on cooperation where countries have sufficient areas of convergence rather than requiring complete alignment of interests.