New Delhi: India is ready to mediate between Russia and Ukraine to establish “food corridors,” announced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, welcoming the offer after a telephone call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ahead of Ukraine-Russia peace talks set to begin in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
Mr. Modi conveyed India’s “readiness” to help with all initiatives to end the nearly five-year-old conflict. The call was followed by another between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov — in the clearest indication thus far of the mediatory role New Delhi is now playing between Moscow and Kyiv.
The Talks in Abu Dhabi
On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump’s negotiators, including his son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff, will restart negotiations after three months with Russian and Ukrainian representatives to discuss security guarantees required for a possible ceasefire.
The calls from New Delhi came just ahead of the UAE talks, and a week before Mr. Modi and Mr. Trump are expected to meet on the sidelines of ASEAN-linked summits in Manila. Later this month, Mr. Trump is expected to travel to Shenzhen for the APEC summit, which Russian President Vladimir Putin is also expected to attend — making the timing of the two calls more significant.
India’s Position
“Prime Minister [Modi] reaffirmed India’s human-centric approach and reiterated India’s consistent position that the conflict must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. “He conveyed India’s readiness to contribute to all efforts aimed at peaceful resolution of the conflict.”
Zelenskyy’s Account
In a post on social media, Mr. Zelenskyy said he had briefed Mr. Modi on the latest developments and stressed that Mr. Modi had told Mr. Putin the war must end.
The Ukrainian President said Russia must understand that the “global economy and hundreds of millions of people around the world are suffering because of blocked sea routes” in the Black Sea, and called for India to clarify its peace proposal.
“It is important that India identify what steps it can take and what dialogue it can pursue with other leaders to help bring the war to an end. Food security could be one such area. We discussed Russia’s blocking of grain exports via the Black Sea. India is ready to mediate in establishing food corridors, and we are counting on these efforts to continue,” Mr. Zelenskyy wrote.
Jaishankar-Lavrov Call
Within a couple of hours, Mr. Jaishankar posted that he had spoken to Mr. Lavrov as well, saying their conversation “focused on the Ukraine conflict and ongoing diplomatic initiatives.”
Mr. Jaishankar has been discussing India’s proposals on a grain export agreement or food corridor in the Black Sea, the safety of seafarers, and safe passage for energy shipments with both countries. He first disclosed the initiatives during a visit to Poland and Ukraine in September.
The Four-Point Proposal
On October 22, during the visit of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to Delhi, Indian officials said New Delhi had reached out to both governments with a “four-point proposal” for an agreement that would:
- Stop attacks on civilians
- Allow grain and energy exports from both countries through the Black Sea
- End the targeting of ships and seafarers, many of whom are Indian nationals
Highly placed officials told The Hindu that New Delhi was in close contact with both sides over the specific proposal, and the government had hoped to hear back at the earliest.
With talks set to begin Tuesday, it remains to be seen whether India will join the dialogue already in play with the U.S. and the UAE, or whether New Delhi plans a larger role in mediating or hosting talks between Russia and Ukraine in the future.
