India's Jaishankar offers help to end war in Ukraine

Kyiv: India is ready to help end the war in Ukraine, Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar said as he arrived in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, on Thursday.

"If India can be of any help, in any manner, we are there," Jaishankar said as he addressed the media alongside Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.

Sybiha welcomed Jaishankar for what he described as the "first-ever dedicated bilateral visit" of an Indian foreign minister to Ukraine.

"India is a global power and we welcome Prime Minister Modi's call to move from an endless war towards an end to the war. Ukraine stands ready for diplomacy," Sybiha wrote on X, referring to comments the Indian leader made during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Kyrgyzstan earlier in the week.

Jaishankar's trip to Ukraine comes more than a week after he attended the 27th session of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation in Moscow with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov.

The Indian foreign minister also met Putin during the Russia visit.

Since the start of Russia's war in Ukraine, New Delhi has been under pressure from Kyiv's Western partners over its cooperation with Moscow, India's decades-long ally.

"This historic moment takes place amid escalating Russian attacks against our cities, port infrastructure, and civil shipping. Our capital is constantly under attack and I appreciate my colleague's brave visit," Sybiha said as he talked about Jaishankar's Kyiv visit.

The Ukrainian minister added that he and Jaishankar discussed the need to restore freedom of navigation in the Black Sea, global food security, and bilateral cooperation.

"From infrastructure and pharmaceutical sector to technological innovation and digitalisation, we are ready to realise our full potential," Sybiha said.