Jaishankar Heads to Poland, Ukraine Next as India Pushes for Peace Dialogue

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar arrived in Poland on Wednesday for a three-day European visit that will also take him to Ukraine, as India steps up diplomatic engagement with both countries amid the continuing Russia-Ukraine war.

Jaishankar is scheduled to hold bilateral consultations with Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, the talks will focus on strengthening bilateral relations, while also covering regional developments and issues of mutual interest.

His planned visit to Kyiv carries particular significance. Jaishankar is the first senior Indian leader to travel to Ukraine since Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the country in August 2024. The trip comes against the backdrop of intensifying Russian strikes across Ukraine and growing international pressure for a diplomatic pathway to end the conflict.

The latest developments have also directly affected Indian nationals. An Indian citizen was recently killed and another injured in Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities, adding a sensitive dimension to Jaishankar’s visit.

India’s diplomatic outreach follows Modi’s latest interaction with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Kyrgyzstan. Modi urged Putin to shift from what he described as an “endless war” towards an “end of war”, signalling New Delhi’s continued push for a negotiated resolution.

Ukraine, meanwhile, has indicated that it wants India to play a more active role in peace efforts. On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s key aide Sergiy Kyslytsya met India’s newly appointed ambassador to Kyiv, Anjani Kumar.

Kyslytsya said the discussions included India’s potential role in efforts to end Russia’s war against Ukraine. He also referred to Modi’s recent message to Putin, saying Kyiv looked forward to continued dialogue with New Delhi and translating the shared interest in peace into concrete steps.

Jaishankar’s Poland-Ukraine tour therefore comes at a crucial moment for India’s diplomacy. New Delhi is seeking to maintain its longstanding relationship with Moscow while simultaneously deepening engagement with Kyiv and supporting efforts aimed at bringing the nearly five-year-old conflict towards a negotiated end.