NEW DELHI, Nov 9 — Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday, November 9, during which the two leaders discussed the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia and ways to strengthen India-Ukraine bilateral cooperation, according to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

Source: ANI via APNA MA TV — PMO statement

According to the PMO, President Zelenskyy shared his perspective on recent developments related to the ongoing conflict. 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. He conveyed India's readiness to contribute to all efforts aimed at a peaceful resolution of the conflict, the PMO statement said.

Following the call, PM Modi posted on X: "Glad to have had a productive telephone conversation with President Zelenskyy. We reviewed our wide-ranging bilateral cooperation and agreed to further strengthen India-Ukraine ties." He added: "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."

In his own post on X after the call, President Zelenskyy said he had briefed PM Modi on the latest diplomatic developments, including preparations for an upcoming meeting in Abu Dhabi. "The prime minister has said more than once, including directly to the Russian leader, that now is the time to end the war, not to continue it," Zelenskyy said, as reported by Reuters.

Source: Reuters via The Business Standard

Zelenskyy also said that India is ready to mediate in establishing food corridors — corridors for grain exports in the Black Sea, which have been blocked by Russian attacks. That mediation offer was stated by President Zelenskyy in his post; the PMO's own statement did not elaborate on it, saying only that the Prime Minister conveyed India's readiness to contribute to all efforts aimed at a peaceful resolution.

Abu Dhabi talks this week

The call came ahead of trilateral talks with Russia and the United States in Abu Dhabi. Negotiators are expected to hold the first meetings in months on Tuesday and Wednesday (November 10-11), just as Russia is targeting Ukraine's energy and logistics hard ahead of winter, Reuters reported. Kyiv said it would separately hold consultations with European and NATO representatives also present on site.

Zelenskyy also held a conversation the same day with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. He said many Ukrainian cities and communities are facing a very difficult situation with power, water and heating supplies due to Russian strikes, with the situation most difficult in Kyiv, Dnipro, Sumy and the Donetsk region, and Kherson, and that the two agreed the European Union would activate a special emergency mechanism to quickly provide Ukraine with funding for what is needed most.

India's wider diplomacy

India has been engaging all sides on the conflict. On October 31, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said PM Modi had discussed the Ukraine conflict with Russian President Vladimir Putin in New Delhi and before that in Bishkek, and that India has been discussing three issues with the Russian, Ukrainian, European and American sides: not attacking civilian shipping and seafarers, restoring grain exports from Russia and Ukraine through the Black Sea, and preventing attacks on energy infrastructure and shipments. What happens next turns on the Abu Dhabi meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday — the first negotiator-level meetings in months.