India is discussing agreements on grains and maritime safety with Moscow and Kyiv: Jaishankar — SkimNews
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- Jaishankar disclosed India is conveying messages between Moscow and Kyiv on Black Sea maritime safety, grain exports, energy exports, and "non-attack possibilities," going "beyond advocacy" in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
- India's Russian oil imports remain above 50% of its oil purchases, with Jaishankar signaling no reduction despite a potential U.S. sanctions law enacted on September 18.
- Jaishankar invoked Soviet support during the 1971 India-Pakistan war to defend the "time-tested" India-Russia relationship, saying Russia "stood by us" when "much of the world preferred backing a military regime next to us."
- Ukraine Foreign Minister Andre Sybiha said India had the "broadest" proposal among four countries offering to help resolve the conflict, while Putin acknowledged Modi's "very good ideas for finding mutually acceptable solutions" at the Valdai forum.
- Modi met Zelenskyy in France in June and has held two meetings with Putin in the past month in Bishkek and Delhi, publicly urging a shift from "endless wars" to the "end of war."
- Jaishankar called the U.S. a "lonelier power" and described China as a "unique country," urging middle and emerging powers to build coalitions on international peace, supply chain resilience, and connectivity.
Why it matters: India's emergence as a named mediator with the "broadest" proposal, as Ukraine's Sybiha put it, gives New Delhi diplomatic leverage while it continues importing over 50% of its oil from Russia and faces a new U.S. sanctions law from September 18. Jaishankar's framing of a "lonelier" U.S. and a rising China positions India as a coalition-builder for middle powers on peace and supply chain issues.
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