India expands role in efforts to end Russia-Ukraine war

India has become more involved in efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war in recent months, holding discussions with Moscow and Kyiv focused on the Black Sea, shipping and ways to reduce hostilities, according to reports published on October 5. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said New Delhi had moved beyond general advocacy and was seeking practical areas in which it could help.¹³

A focus on practical measures

Jaishankar said India has conversations with both sides and is initially concentrating on the safety of commercial shipping in the Black Sea. He said the discussions also extend to energy shipments and possible arrangements under which certain targets would not be attacked. His comments presented India’s activity as an attempt to identify limited measures that could reduce hostilities rather than as a publicly detailed plan for a complete settlement.¹³

Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, said Kyiv had received four proposals from international mediators and described the Indian plan as the most comprehensive. According to reports of his remarks, the Indian proposal addresses both energy infrastructure and the Black Sea. Ukraine has said it is prepared to consider a truce covering those two areas together.¹²

The Independent reported that Turkey and Egypt had separately proposed a Black Sea arrangement intended to support Ukrainian grain exports, while the United States had pressed for an agreement to stop attacks on energy infrastructure. Ukraine’s position was that an energy truce and a Black Sea truce should be combined, the newspaper reported.²

Modi’s contacts with Putin

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek in August and urged him to end the war, according to The Independent. The two leaders met again during the BRICS summit in New Delhi in September 2026. Meduza reported that they discussed the conflict at both meetings.¹²

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Modi had “actively offered his good offices” to support a peaceful settlement. Putin, for his part, praised India’s stated wish to bring the conflict to an end through peaceful means. Those statements indicate that Moscow has publicly acknowledged India’s interest, but the dossier does not establish that Russia or Ukraine has accepted a specific Indian arrangement.¹²

India also hosted Putin for a state visit in December 2025. The International Criminal Court has issued a warrant for the Russian president over alleged war crimes in Ukraine, but The Independent reported that India is not legally required to arrest him because it is not a party to the Rome Statute.²

Shipping risks and energy ties

The Black Sea issue has direct relevance for India’s commercial shipping interests. The Independent reported that at least five Indian seafarers had been killed following attacks on commercial vessels in the region since April. India subsequently issued protests to both sides and advisories warning seafarers about the situation, according to the newspaper.²

India’s role is also complicated by its purchases of Russian energy. India has remained Russia’s second-largest energy customer after China, and Meduza reported that Russian supplies have increased sharply as a share of Indian imports since the war began. The United States has pressed India to stop purchasing discounted Russian crude, according to both Meduza and The Independent.¹²

Meduza reported that India agreed in early 2026 to halt Russian oil purchases but later resumed them after war in the Middle East and resulting energy shortages. The outlet further said a US law permits President Donald Trump to levy tariffs of up to 100 per cent against nations that purchase large volumes of Russian crude, adding difficulty to trade talks between Washington and New Delhi.¹

Scope remains unclear

The available reports establish that India is speaking with both Russia and Ukraine and has broadened its involvement in recent months. No agreement resulting from the Indian discussions is identified in the dossier.¹²³