New Delhi: India reiterated its principled position on the Russia-Ukraine war, calling for a peaceful resolution through “dialogue and diplomacy” during the meetings between Indian National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval and Rustem Umerov, Secretary of the Ukrainian National Security and Defence Council Friday.
Umerov’s visit is the first high-level exchange by the Ukrainian government since Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha’s visit to the national capital in March last year.
“The two sides reviewed bilateral relations and discussed the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. NSA reiterated India’s principled position and focus on peaceful resolution through dialogue and diplomacy,” Randhir Jaiswal, official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement Friday.
Umerov, currently in India, also met with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar Friday.
“We discussed the development of bilateral relations and the assessment of the security situation. The Indian side reaffirmed its consistent position on the need for a peaceful settlement based on dialogue and diplomacy. I am grateful for the shared understanding of the need to find solutions that will ensure a lasting peace,” Umerov said after the meeting with Doval on the social media platform X.
In Delhi, I held a meeting with India’s National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval.
We discussed the development of bilateral relations and the assessment of the security situation. The Indian side reaffirmed its consistent position on the need for a peaceful settlement based on… https://t.co/9iyZP214hG
— Rustem Umerov (@rustem_umerov) April 17, 2026
Umerov during his discussions with Jaishankar highlighted the current situation on the front lines in the four-and-a-half year war with Russia. Ukraine most recently announced a successful operation using unmanned robots and aerial vehicles to capture a fortified Russian position.
“We also focused on the development of bilateral cooperation and the implementation of agreements outlined in the Joint Statement of the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, following his visit to Ukraine in August 2024,” added Umerov on his meeting with Jaishankar.
I held a meeting with India’s Minister of External Affairs, @DrSJaishankar
We discussed the current situation on the front line, the progress of negotiations, and the prospects for achieving a just, lasting, and sustainable peace for Ukraine.
We also focused on the development… https://t.co/ScN8bLaD0I
— Rustem Umerov (@rustem_umerov) April 17, 2026
The Russian invasion of Ukraine that began in February 2022 has continued with both sides digging in for another summer of conflict.
Russia has been grinding out slow battlefield gains at the cost of huge numbers of soldiers, while Kyiv has been able to stand its ground through the usage of unmanned vehicles, across the land, the air and the sea.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to visit India, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made the trip to Kyiv in August 2024.
At the same time, India continues to maintain close cooperation with Moscow. Russian President Vladimir V. Putin visited New Delhi last December for the annual India-Russia summit. Modi is expected to travel to Russia later this year for the annual summit.
India has been one of the biggest procurers of Russian oil since the war started. The price cap instituted by the G7 countries at the end of 2022 saw Indian oil purchases from Russia grow to $56 billion in FY 2024-2025.
Since then India’s Russian oil purchases have fallen over the last year partly due to American sanctions on Russian oil firms Rosneft and Lukoil.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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