New Delhi, September 3: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv and discussed ways to end the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, besides advancing bilateral ties between the two countries.
Sharing details of his engagements in Ukraine, Jaishankar said on X that he briefed Zelenskyy on his discussions with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on deepening 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,” Jaishankar wrote.
Zelenskyy welcomed the meeting and said he was grateful for India’s position on the conflict. He said India remained committed to ending what he described as Russia’s “unjust war” against Ukraine. “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,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X.
Zelenskyy also claimed that Russia launched jet-powered Shahed drones while Jaishankar was in Kyiv, and said the drones were developed with Iran’s help. He said the Indian delegation remained safe as Ukrainian fighter jets intercepted most of the drones.
“Today, while the Minister was here with us in Kyiv, Russia once again launched jet-powered ‘Shaheds’, which were developed not without Iran’s help,” Zelenskyy said. He added that Ukraine hoped other major world powers would also take a clear position that the war must end and a lasting peace must be achieved.
The Ukrainian president said the two leaders also discussed the situation in the Black Sea, including threats to civilian shipping.
Zelenskyy said both sides agreed that blocking food supplies to regions dependent on maritime routes was “absolutely unacceptable”. He also accused Russia of disrupting global relations by targeting Ukrainian ports, food corridors and supplies, and called for joint efforts to ensure security.
Also Read: Raghav Chadha Alleges ‘Political Vendetta’ After Name Deleted From Punjab Voter Rolls
