India’s Proposal To Restore Black Sea Shipping Gains Ground At UN After Ukrainian Backing

Ukraine has considered India’s proposal to restore safe navigation and shipping in the Black Sea, where continuous drone and missile attacks on ships, ports and other infrastructure have stalled shipments and also led to the loss of seafarers’ lives.

Along with India, Turkiye and Egypt have also sent their plans to end the war, which began in 2022 with the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke to the world leaders at the UN General Assembly Meeting, highlighting the importance of declaring a maritime truce between Kyiv and the Kremlin.

He said that Ukraine was ready to end the war; however, it is up to Russia to respond and take real steps to de-escalate the situation.

New Delhi is in contact with both sides and is encouraging the use of diplomacy and dialogue to end the war, said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who also flew to Kyiv this month.

He met the Ukrainian President and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and held discussions regarding the current situation in the region. Jaishankar reportedly told Zelensky that India was ready to offer help when needed.

Ukraine has been trying to reach a deal with Russia, and President Zelensky said he was ready to meet Vladimir Putin for the same in a trilateral meeting along with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Ukraine is also worried that Russia might target power grids and heating plants with missiles and drones this winter.

Russia-Ukraine war has also disrupted grain shipments from the Black Sea region as importers in Africa, Asia and the Gulf are looking for alternative suppliers amidst the conflict.

The price of wheat has reached a three-year high in the region as war has stalled shipments and strikes have destroyed several storage terminals along the Black Sea coast.

The spokesperson for the Kremlin, Dmitry Peskov, stated that there were no grounds for peace negotiations with Ukraine at the moment, though Moscow is open to such talks.