Zelenskyy urges Modi to press Russia on war end, grain corridors

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held telephone talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday to discuss diplomatic efforts to end the war with Russia, briefing his counterpart on preparations for upcoming trilateral negotiations in Abu Dhabi and urging New Delhi to press Moscow for de-escalation.

Zelenskyy urges India to press Russia

Zelenskyy said Ukraine was “actively” preparing for the upcoming meeting in the United Arab Emirates, noting that Kyiv has “always taken a constructive approach.” “The Prime Minister has said more than once, including directly to the Russian leader, that now is the time to end the war, not to continue it,” he said in a post on X, adding that “it is important that India identify what steps it can take and what dialogue it can pursue with other leaders to help bring the war to an end.”

Black Sea grain blockade discussed

The two leaders also addressed Russia’s ongoing blockade of Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea. Zelenskyy said he was “counting” on Indian support to establish alternative food corridors, stating that “Russia must understand that the global economy and hundreds of millions of people around the world are suffering because of blocked sea routes.” Modi’s office confirmed India’s readiness to mediate on the issue and said the prime minister had reaffirmed his consistent position that the conflict must be resolved through dialogue.

Russian, Ukrainian and US representatives are scheduled to convene in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday for a renewed round of trilateral peace negotiations. The three sides last held US-mediated talks on Feb. 17-18 in Geneva, following earlier rounds in the Emirati capital on Jan. 23-24 and Feb. 4-5.