Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has said Kyiv looks to India’s “authoritative voice and active role” for an end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and wider peace efforts.

In a phone call with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday, Sybiha said he updated his Indian counterpart on the battlefield situation and Ukraine’s push for a “just peace.”

He added that the two sides agreed to meet during the upcoming UN General Assembly high-level week in New York to advance cooperation in politics, trade, technology and high-level exchanges. “We agreed to continue the tangible development of our bilateral relations, including in political dialogue, upcoming high-level contacts, economic cooperation, technology, and other areas,” he said.

Jaishankar, in his post, confirmed the conversation. “Spoke to FM @andrii_sybiha of Ukraine this evening. Discussed our bilateral cooperation as well as the Ukraine conflict. India supports an early end to this conflict and the establishment of an enduring peace,” he said.

The outreach comes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi balances diplomacy with both Kyiv and Moscow. Modi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, where they discussed regional developments and the “peaceful resolution” of the conflict.

On August 30, Modi also held a call with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ahead of the SCO meeting, reiterating India’s support for peace and stability in Ukraine.