External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Thursday, with discussions focusing on efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war and strengthen bilateral relations. During the visit, Jaishankar also defended India's continued purchase of Russian oil, saying New Delhi has legitimate energy needs that cannot be overlooked.
Addressing the issue in Kyiv, Jaishankar acknowledged Ukraine's concerns about India's oil imports from Russia but stressed the challenge of meeting the energy requirements of 1.4 billion people, particularly amid a difficult global energy environment.
"The reason for the question. I get that but I think it's very important that all of you get the challenges of providing for energy for 1.4 billion people at a time when the world energy situation is very, very difficult," Jaishankar said at a joint press statement with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha following their talks.
Jaishankar said India respects Ukraine's position and expects its own concerns to receive similar consideration.
He argued that the conflict, now in its fifth year, would not be resolved simply by decisions over purchases of oil, alumina, minerals, metals or fertilisers.
According to Jaishankar, ending the Russia-Ukraine war will ultimately require dialogue, diplomacy and negotiations, rather than battlefield solutions.
"This conflict will be solved by dialogue, by diplomacy, by negotiation, and that is why it is something we would encourage," he said.
"India has consistently maintained that this is not an era of war, and that solutions will not emerge from the battlefield," Jaishankar added.
He referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks from two days earlier during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, where Modi stressed that the prolonged cycle of conflict should now give way to an end to hostilities.
India has faced criticism from the US and European nations over its purchases of Russian crude oil since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. New Delhi has consistently defended the imports, maintaining that ensuring affordable and dependable energy supplies for its citizens is an important responsibility.
JAISHANKAR MEETS ZELENSKYY IN KYIV
During his visit to Ukraine, Jaishankar held meetings with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. The talks centred on efforts to bring the war to an end and further develop India-Ukraine relations.
Jaishankar said he briefed Zelenskyy about his discussions with Sybiha on expanding bilateral cooperation.
"Pleased to call on President @ZelenskyyUa today #Ukraine. Apprised him of discussions with FM @andrii_sybiha on deepening our bilateral cooperation. Our conversation centred on approaches to end the ongoing conflict," he wrote on X.
ZELENSKYY THANKS INDIA FOR SUPPORT
Zelenskyy expressed appreciation for India's position on ending the conflict.
"We are grateful to India for its commitment to ending this unjust war – Russia's war against Ukraine. This certainly must not be a time of war. Peace is needed. This is India’s clear position," he wrote.
Zelenskyy also claimed that Russia launched jet-powered Shahed drones while the Indian delegation was in Kyiv, alleging that the drones had been developed with Iranian assistance. He said Ukrainian fighter aircraft and combat aviation intercepted most of the drones, ensuring the safety of the visiting Indian delegation.
India has consistently advocated resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict through dialogue and diplomacy, while maintaining an independent position on its energy imports and its relations with both Moscow and Kyiv.
