Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday, during which the two leaders reviewed the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and discussed ways to deepen bilateral cooperation between India and Ukraine.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Zelenskyy shared his assessment of recent developments related to the conflict. During the discussion, Modi reiterated India’s long-standing position that the crisis should be resolved through “dialogue and diplomacy” and emphasised the country’s “human-centric approach” to the conflict.

The Prime Minister also conveyed India’s readiness to “contribute to all efforts aimed at peaceful resolution of the conflict”, reaffirming New Delhi’s willingness to support initiatives that advance peace and stability.

Beyond the conflict, the two leaders reviewed the broad spectrum of India-Ukraine relations and explored opportunities to strengthen cooperation across multiple sectors for the mutual benefit of both countries.

Following the call, Modi described the discussion as productive, stating: “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.”

The conversation comes as Ukraine continues to face significant challenges from the impact of the war. Zelenskyy also spoke with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen regarding the worsening situation in several Ukrainian regions, where Russian strikes have severely affected electricity, water and heating services.

In a statement following that discussion, Zelenskyy said many cities and communities were experiencing extremely difficult conditions, with Kyiv, Dnipro, Sumy, Donetsk and Kherson among the worst-affected regions.

He said he had informed von der Leyen of the challenges and that both sides agreed to activate a special European Union emergency mechanism designed to rapidly provide Ukraine with funding for urgent needs. Ukrainian and EU teams are already working on implementing the assistance.

The two leaders also discussed additional energy and humanitarian support ahead of winter, as well as Ukraine’s progress towards European integration. Zelenskyy welcomed the European Commission’s latest EU Enlargement Package, which gave a positive assessment of Ukraine’s reform progress, saying it was important to open all negotiation clusters and begin closing chapters in the accession process.

India’s engagement on the Ukraine conflict has extended beyond Kyiv. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar recently highlighted New Delhi’s ongoing diplomatic contacts with Russia, Ukraine, European partners and the United States in pursuit of practical measures to reduce the humanitarian and economic consequences of the war.

Speaking on 31 October, Jaishankar noted that Modi had discussed the conflict with Russian President Vladimir Putin both in New Delhi and earlier in Bishkek. He said India had maintained dialogue with both Moscow and Kyiv, while also coordinating with Washington, whose own peace mediation efforts continue.

Jaishankar identified three key areas of focus in these discussions. The first is preventing attacks on civilian shipping and seafarers. The second is restoring grain exports from both Russia and Ukraine, which remain critical suppliers to global food markets and whose exports have been heavily disrupted in the Black Sea region.

The third area concerns energy security and protecting energy-related infrastructure and shipments. Jaishankar acknowledged the complexity of this issue, noting that concerns vary among the parties involved and include refineries, electricity grids and fuel transportation.

He said India has been working to encourage dialogue on these matters and to help bring stakeholders together, although he declined to provide details about the current state of discussions.

As a country maintaining relations with both Russia and Ukraine, India has continued to advocate diplomacy, humanitarian assistance and practical measures aimed at reducing the impact of the conflict while supporting efforts towards a lasting peace.

ANI