India says it is taking a more active role in Russia-Ukraine diplomacy

India is taking a more direct role in efforts to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar said at a security conference over the weekend. Jaishankar said India had become “a little bit more involved beyond advocacy” in recent months.

He said Indian officials were speaking with both Moscow and Kyiv about issues connected to reducing hostilities. The discussions began with the safety of shipping in the Black Sea, he said. They have also covered energy shipments and what he described as “non-attack possibilities”.

Jaishankar did not provide further details of the proposals or discussions. India has called for an end to the fighting but has generally avoided directly criticising the Kremlin. It has abstained from United Nations votes condemning Russia’s invasion, while maintaining long-standing links with Moscow.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the conflict during a meeting on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Kyrgyzstan in late August. Modi and Putin later pledged to deepen relations at a meeting during the Brics summit. Jaishankar said dialogue and diplomacy were essential to ending the war.

He also said India’s relationship with Russia had expanded beyond defence to include energy, space and trade. The United States has pressed India to reduce purchases of Russian oil, although India remains a major buyer of Russian energy and weapons. The source material says the Indian military operates Russian-made fighter jets and S-400 air-defence systems.