Modi Tells Zelenskyy India Is Ready to Contribute to a Peaceful Resolution Ahead of Abu Dhabi Talks

Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday that India is ready to contribute to all efforts aimed at a peaceful resolution of the Russia Ukraine conflict, the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement reported by PTI. The telephone conversation came one day before the first trilateral Russia Ukraine talks since February, to be mediated by the United States in Abu Dhabi on November 10 and 11.

What the Prime Minister's Office said

The PMO said Modi reaffirmed India's human centric approach and reiterated India's consistent position that the conflict must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy. He conveyed India's readiness to contribute to all efforts aimed at a peaceful resolution of the conflict. Zelenskyy briefed Modi on his assessment of the latest developments in the conflict, including its humanitarian aspects, the statement said.

The two leaders also reviewed bilateral cooperation and agreed to further strengthen India Ukraine ties. The PMO statement said they discussed ways to strengthen cooperation across various sectors for the mutual benefit of their peoples. The statement did not say that India has been appointed a mediator in the talks, and no peace agreement was announced with the call.

What the two leaders posted

Modi described the call in a post on X. "Glad to have had a productive telephone conversation with President Zelenskyy," he wrote. "We reviewed our wide ranging bilateral cooperation and agreed to further strengthen India Ukraine ties. I thanked President Zelenskyy for sharing his perspectives on the ongoing conflict, its humanitarian aspects and various efforts to restore peace. Reiterated India's firm commitment to contributing in every possible way towards a peaceful resolution."

Zelenskyy said the two 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," he wrote in a post on X reported by NewKerala. He also wrote: "We are actively preparing on every item on the agenda for the meeting in Abu Dhabi."

The Abu Dhabi talks ahead

The call precedes talks in Abu Dhabi on November 10 and 11, described by The Hindu BusinessLine as the first trilateral Russia Ukraine talks since February, to be mediated by the US. Discussions are likely to centre on security guarantees, de escalation, humanitarian measures and a path to ending the war, the report said.

The same report noted that the two sides remain deeply split over Russia's demands, territorial questions and Ukraine's security arrangements, and that there has been no let up in the fighting, including missile and drone strikes. That is the setting for Monday's call: India restating a position it has held throughout the war, Zelenskyy setting out his assessment before the Abu Dhabi meeting, and neither side announcing a change in the terms on the table.