Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha briefed his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar on the "difficult situation" in the Black Sea, highlighting intensified Russian attacks on ports and the resulting threat to global food security and navigation.
In a post on X, Sybiha said, "I had a phone call with India's External Affairs Minister @DrSJaishankar. I briefed him on the difficult situation in the Black Sea as a result of Russian aggression against Ukraine and intensified attacks on our ports and maritime routes," he said. I had a phone call with India’s External Affairs Minister @DrSJaishankar. I briefed him on the difficult situation in the Black Sea as a result of Russian aggression against Ukraine and intensified attacks on our ports and maritime routes. I underscored that Russia’s attempts… pic.twitter.com/lRimoE7zNF — Andrii Sybiha 🇺🇦 (@andrii_sybiha) August 26, 2026
Black Sea Crisis and Global Food Security
Sybiha said he also raised concerns over what he alleged were Russian attempts to disrupt Ukrainian food exports, saying these posed a threat to global food security. "I underscored that Russia's attempts to disrupt Ukrainian food exports pose a direct threat to global food security, reaching far beyond our region and putting millions of families worldwide at risk," he said.
The Ukrainian Foreign Minister said the two sides discussed measures to restore and secure freedom of navigation in the Black Sea. "We discussed ways to restore and secure freedom of navigation in the Black Sea," Sybiha said.
Bilateral Agenda and Future Engagement
He added that the conversation also covered Ukraine-India bilateral cooperation and ways to advance their "mutually beneficial agenda". "We also spoke about the development of Ukraine-India bilateral cooperation and ways to advance our mutually beneficial agenda," he said.
Sybiha said the two sides also coordinated their upcoming contacts and agreed to remain in close touch. "We coordinated our upcoming contacts and agreed to remain in close touch," he said.
Previous Diplomatic Engagements
The call came after Sybiha's previous call to Jaishankar on July 31. In a post on X, he said that he briefed the EAM on the outcomes of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's recent visit to Washington, where he met US President Donald Trump and exchanged updates on their respective international engagements. "As part of our continued dialogue, I had a good call with Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar. We exchanged updates on our recent international contacts and I briefed my Indian colleague on the outcomes of President Zelenskyy's recent visit to Washington, D.C.," Sybiha said in his post.
Wider Implications of Russian Aggression
Sybiha said Ukraine believes attacks on civilian vessels in the Black Sea undermine freedom of navigation and pose risks to global food security. "I stressed that the consequences of Russian aggression extend far beyond Ukraine's borders. By attacking civilian vessels in the Black Sea, Russia undermines freedom of navigation and puts global food security at risk," he said.
He added that the ongoing conflict was also affecting global energy markets and creating wider instability. "At the same time, its continued war fuels instability in global energy markets, affecting countries far beyond our region," Sybiha said.
Ukraine Seeks India's Role in Peace Efforts
The Ukrainian Foreign Minister reaffirmed Kyiv's commitment to achieving a comprehensive and lasting peace and encouraged India to play an active role in peace efforts. "I reaffirmed Ukraine's commitment to achieving a comprehensive and lasting peace and encouraged India to play an active role in peace efforts. We agreed to remain in close contact," Sybiha said. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
