PM's meetings with Putin, Zelenskyy 'beginning of communication': EAM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meetings with the top leaders of Russia and Ukraine were "beginnings of a communication process" between two countries engaged in a serious conflict that has had enormous consequences, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday.

In an interactive session at The Conclave 2024 organised by news channel Pratidin Time, Jaishankar said Prime Minister Modi was one of the very few world leaders who has the "ability" to speak to both the leaders, who "trust" him.

"What are we trying to do? You don't necessarily have to mediate... sometimes you have to communicate. We are actually, simultaneously talking to two countries who are having a conflict," he said to a question on India's role in "mediation" in the Ukraine conflict.

Jaishankar said Prime Minister Modi has had at least three meetings with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and one meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He said National Security Adviser Ajit Doval also met Putin in September to brief him about Modi's discussions with Zelenskyy.

"Obviously that talk is centered around what the conflict is all about. It was necessary for NSA Doval to go to Russia so that the Russians know what the Prime Minister spoke to Zelenskyy," Jaishankar said.

He said the Russia-Ukraine conflict has entered the third year and has had enormous human cost and huge economic consequences across the world.

"You can either watch this conflict and say none of us could do anything about it and say it will end when it ends. Or you can say I am one of the few countries or in our case one of the few prime ministers who has the ability to speak there and both parties trust him and see whether out of these conversations something moves," Jaishankar said.

"I think these are the beginnings of a communication process. Where it will lead, I have not quite reached that point," he added.

Jaishankar said the world leaders were supportive of what India was doing.

"People are very happy today. They say you have a person like PM Modi who has the ability to go to both capitals and have that kind of communication," he said.