The External Affairs Minister of India, Dr. S. Jaishankar, is on an official visit to Ukraine and the bordering Republic of Poland from 3 to 5 September 2026. EAM’s visit to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on the 3rd aimed to hold bilateral consultations for enhancing mutual ties and take an overview of the current situation in Ukraine-Russia conflict. The meeting follows the visit made by the Prime Minister of India, Hon. Narendra Modi, to Kyiv in 2024.
He held a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Mr. Andrii Sybiha, on 3 September. During his meeting with Minister Sybiha, he was briefed on the recent geopolitical developments in the region and the status of peace negotiations. Their conversation also explored the areas of potential enhancements in bilateral cooperation, touching upon sectors such as education, health, agriculture, capacity building, and digitisation. He took the opportunity to invite Minister Sybiha to India for convening the next Intergovernmental Commission that he co-chairs with him.
Dr. Jaishankar and Minister Sybiha addressed the press following their meeting, where the former reiterated India’s commitment to a peaceful global order. He highlighted the diplomatic channels through which the Indian and Ukrainian sides have maintained free, open and regular communication during the ongoing geopolitical pressures. In this regard, he mentioned his previous meetings with Minister Sybiha in Cyprus and France; the 2025 Raisina Dialogue; and the meeting between the President of Ukraine, Hon. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and PM Modi, on the sidelines of the G-7 Summit in France in June 2026.
In the same vein, he touched upon the bilateral cooperation between the countries that includes trade in pharmaceuticals, machinery, agriculture and consumer goods, also detailing the humanitarian assistance provided by India in the form of medical equipment, machinery and medicines. He simultaneously affirmed India’s continued support, thanking Ukraine, in turn, for assuring the well-being of Indian students studying there. A matter of particular importance that was brought into focus was the impact on commercial shipping and supply chains, and the resultant shortages in food, fuel and fertilisers. He emphasised the need to address the issue and safeguard navigation through the Black Sea for global economic stability.
Thereafter, he called on President Zelenskyy who was apprised of the preceding discussions. The two also exchanged views on the approaches to end the conflict. He concluded his visit by visiting Mahatma Gandhi’s statue at the National Botanical Garden in Kyiv and paying his respects. Dr. Jaishankar’s visit arrives at a crucial time, when dialogue and diplomacy hold significance on the global stage, in line with PM Modi’s recent remarks in Bishek to end war and conflicts.
