India steps up active mediation in Russia-Ukraine conflict, says Jaishankar

UPDATE - follow-up to India is going 'beyond advocacy' on the Russia-Ukraine conflict: Jaishankar: New Delhi is currently passing messages between Moscow and Kyiv regarding grain shipments and maritime safety in the Black Sea.

Official Remarks

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar revealed these diplomatic efforts on Sunday at the 62nd Munich Security Conference event held in New Delhi. He pointed out that Russia historically supported India during critical security challenges, such as the 1971 war and the creation of Bangladesh. This strong relationship explains why India continues its Russian oil purchases, which currently make up more than half of the country's total oil imports despite potential U.S. sanctions.

Global Superpowers

During the session themed on middle power cooperation, the minister also criticized global superpowers. He described the United States as a power that chose to become lonelier and labeled China as a unique country engaged in sharp competition. To counter this, he suggested that other nations form coalitions to address supply chains, peace, and connectivity. Ukraine Foreign Minister Andre Sybiha recently stated that India presented the broadest conflict-resolution proposal among four nations, while Russian President Vladimir Putin also acknowledged Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ideas for the crisis.

Context

This follows an earlier report, covered earlier on 04 Oct 2026: 'India is going 'beyond advocacy' on the Russia-Ukraine conflict: Jaishankar'. International diplomacy often involves middle powers acting as messengers when direct talks between warring nations stall.