EAM Jaishankar meets Ukraine Prez Volodymyr Zelenskyy

KYIV: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv and discussed approaches to end the ongoing conflict with Russia and advance bilateral relations.

Highlighting his engagements in Ukraine, Jaishankar wrote in a post on X that he apprised President Zelenskyy of his discussions with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha regarding the deepening of bilateral cooperation.

The EAM noted that his conversation with President Zelenskyy centred on approaches to end the ongoing conflict. Welcoming the meeting, President Zelenskyy confirmed his discussion with India’s Minister of External Affairs and expressed gratitude for India’s stance.

“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 wrote in a post on X.

President Zelenskyy claimed that while Jaishankar was present in Kyiv, Russia launched jet-powered “Shaheds”, which he asserted were developed with Iran’s help. Zelenskyy shared that the Indian delegation remained safe thanks to Ukrainian combat aviation and fighter jets shooting down most of the drones and expressed hope that other world powers would call for an end to the war.

“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. Thanks to our combat aviation, the delegation was safe, because it is Ukrainian fighter jets that shoot down most of these drones. We hope that other major world powers will also take a clear stance that this war must end and that a reliable peace must be achieved,” he said.

Additionally, President Zelenskyy stated that the two leaders discussed the situation in the Black Sea, including threats to civilian shipping. Zelenskyy noted that both sides concur that blocking food supplies to sensitive regions dependent on maritime routes is absolutely unacceptable.