India ready to mediate for Black Sea food corridor: Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that grain export corridors in the Black Sea have been obstructed due to Russian attacks, and India is ready to mediate to establish these corridors. Following a telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday evening, Zelenskyy shared this information on the social media platform X.

According to a report by DW, Zelenskyy clarified that Russian attacks have created obstacles in the routes for grain export in the Black Sea. However, Prime Minister Modi and India's Ministry of External Affairs have not mentioned the suggested food corridor in the official statements released regarding the conversation between the two leaders. Officially, Modi only stated that he is reaffirming India's firm commitment to contribute in all possible ways to bring about a peaceful solution.

Providing more details on Prime Minister Modi's stance, Zelenskyy said that Modi, through direct communication with the Russian leader, has repeatedly emphasised that now is not the time to continue the war, but the time to end it. In this manner, Zelenskyy referred to the Indian Prime Minister's diplomatic efforts.

India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is also playing an active role in this dispute. When he visited Ukraine's capital Kyiv in September, he had offered to help bring an end to the Russia-Ukraine war. During the Munich Leaders Meeting organised in New Delhi, Jaishankar indicated that India is now moving beyond mere advocacy to become more actively involved. He stated that India is in dialogue with both Russia and Ukraine on this matter. They are attempting to be helpful on urgent issues ranging from the security of shipping in the Black Sea to grain exports, energy exports, and potential issues regarding non-aggression.

Shortly after the conversation between Zelenskyy and Modi concluded, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar also spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Jaishankar stated that their conversation was primarily focused on the Ukraine conflict and the ongoing diplomatic efforts.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also provided important information in this context. He stated that Ukraine has received a total of 4 international ceasefire proposals, among which he considered the proposal provided by India to be the most comprehensive. Sybiha further added that the Kyiv government is prepared to consider a ceasefire in the energy and Black Sea sectors.

These significant diplomatic activities are taking place at a time when negotiators from Ukraine, Russia, and the United States are meeting once again for tripartite talks after months. The fourth round of these discussions is starting from Tuesday in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. In previous rounds, no consensus could be reached on key issues such as regional and security guarantees, which resulted in no progress in the negotiations.

India's stance on the Ukraine war has always been to resolve it through dialogue and diplomatic means. Alongside this, since the war began in 2022, India has also continuously maintained its close economic relations with its decades-old partner, Russia.