Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he discussed establishing "food corridors" in the Black Sea with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a phone call on Monday evening. Zelenskyy stated on X that India is ready to mediate in establishing corridors for grain exports blocked by Russian attacks.
Modi and India's foreign ministry did not mention the proposed food corridors in their official statements on the call. Modi said he reiterated New Delhi's "firm commitment to contributing in every possible way towards a peaceful resolution."
India's Foreign Minister S Jaishankar signalled in October that India had "got a little bit more involved beyond advocacy" in the Ukraine conflict. He said India was trying to be helpful on Black Sea shipping safety and covering concerns on grain exports, energy exports and non-attack possibilities.
In September, Jaishankar visited Kyiv and offered to help end the Russia-Ukraine war. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha later described India's truce proposal as the "most comprehensive" among four international proposals received by Kyiv.
The call came as negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the United States returned to trilateral talks after months.