The Modi Zelenskyy phone call took place on Monday 9 November, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and reiterated India’s willingness to support a peaceful settlement of the Russia-Ukraine war. Modi described the conversation as productive, and said the two leaders had reviewed their wide-ranging bilateral cooperation and agreed to further strengthen India-Ukraine ties.
During the Modi Zelenskyy phone call, Zelenskyy briefed Modi on the latest developments in the conflict, including its humanitarian impact, and the two leaders discussed ways to strengthen cooperation between their countries. Modi thanked Zelenskyy for sharing his perspectives on the conflict, its humanitarian aspects and various efforts to restore peace, and he reiterated India’s firm commitment to contributing in every possible way towards a peaceful resolution.
The Modi Zelenskyy phone call came ahead of scheduled talks involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States in Abu Dhabi on 10 and 11 November, the first trilateral talks since February. The discussions are likely to centre on security guarantees, de-escalation, humanitarian measures and a path to ending the war, which is nearing the five-year mark. Zelenskyy said the two sides are actively preparing on every item on the agenda for the meeting in Abu Dhabi.
The Abu Dhabi talks on 10 and 11 November will be the first trilateral meeting of Russian, Ukrainian and US negotiators since February. The agenda includes security guarantees, de-escalation and humanitarian measures, and Zelenskyy said Ukraine has always taken a constructive approach and that Russia must show the same readiness to de-escalate. The two leaders agreed that their teams will stay in touch on bilateral issues, and the call came at a point when the diplomatic calendar was moving quickly.
Modi Zelenskyy phone call and the food corridors
The Modi Zelenskyy phone call also covered Russia’s blocking of grain exports via the Black Sea, and Zelenskyy said India is ready to mediate in establishing food corridors. “We discussed Russia’s blocking of grain exports via the Black Sea. India is ready to mediate in establishing food corridors, and we are counting on these efforts to continue,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X after the call. He added that food security could be one such area where India can help.
After the Modi Zelenskyy phone call, Zelenskyy also said Modi has repeatedly conveyed that now is the time to end the war, not to continue it, including directly to the Russian leader. “The prime minister has said more than once, including directly to the Russian leader, that now is the time to end the war, not to continue it,” Zelenskyy said. The two leaders agreed that their teams will stay in touch on bilateral issues.
Modi Zelenskyy phone call and the ceasefire proposal
The Modi Zelenskyy phone call was the first between the two leaders since India submitted a proposal for a possible ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Ukraine has described India’s proposal as the broadest among four proposals received by Kyiv. The call assumes significance because it comes after that proposal was made, and it was the first conversation between Modi and Zelenskyy since then.
The Modi Zelenskyy phone call was the latest in a series of contacts between the two leaders since the war began in February 2022. Modi visited Kyiv in August 2024, becoming the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Ukraine since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1992, and the two leaders had also spoken by telephone in August 2025. In September, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called on Zelenskyy in Kyiv, and earlier this month Jaishankar said India is in discussions with Russia, Ukraine and Europe on protecting civilian shipping and seafarers and restoring grain exports from the Black Sea.
The Prime Minister’s Office said Modi reaffirmed India’s human-centric approach and reiterated India’s consistent position that the conflict must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy. The two leaders also discussed measures to further strengthen India-Ukraine bilateral cooperation in various sectors for the mutual benefit of the two peoples, and Modi said he was glad to have had a productive telephone conversation with President Zelenskyy.