Jaishankar to visit Ukraine and Poland for bilateral talks
EAM S Jaishankar will visit Ukraine and Poland from Sept 3-5, focusing on bilateral ties and regional issues.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is set to travel to Ukraine and Poland for an official visit from September 3 to 5, the Ministry of External Affairs announced on Wednesday. This marks his first standalone trip to Ukraine, which has been at war with Russia since February 2022. His previous visit to Kyiv was in August 2024, accompanying Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
During the visit, Jaishankar will hold bilateral consultations with his Ukrainian counterpart, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, and Poland's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski. The discussions will focus on enhancing bilateral relations and exchanging views on regional developments and issues of mutual interest.
The visit comes at a time when Prime Minister Modi is engaging Russian President Vladimir Putin twice within a fortnight. The two leaders met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Bishkek on August 31, and are scheduled to meet again when Putin arrives in India for the 18th BRICS Summit on September 12-13.
The timing is also significant following the death of an Indian national in Russian attacks on Kyiv on Tuesday—the second such fatality in the country. New Delhi has consistently raised the safety of its citizens with both Moscow and Kyiv. Earlier, after five Indian seafarers were killed in July last year, Ukraine had proposed a conversation between the foreign ministers to discuss the security situation in the Black Sea region.
India has long advocated dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the Ukraine-Russia conflict. While its simultaneous engagements with both nations could be seen as an attempt to facilitate talks, New Delhi does not yet have the leverage to act as a mediator. The visit may also signal India's interest in participating in Ukraine's post-war reconstruction.
Including Poland in the itinerary is likely aimed at reassuring eastern European nations, especially as India negotiates a trade deal with the European Union. With Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk scheduled to visit India in October, Jaishankar's trip may help prepare the groundwork for that engagement.