Wars have no winners: Jaishankar calls for end to Ukraine conflict

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday called for an end to the Ukraine war, saying a conflict now in its fifth year had produced no winners and must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.“Endless war must give way to an end to war. These are wars without winners,” Jaishankar said at a joint press conference with Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski in Warsaw.Jaishankar arrived in Poland after visiting Kyiv and said India remained concerned about the continuing conflict.“Every additional day means more death, more destruction, more loss to the parties themselves and more cost to the rest of the world,” he said. Jaishankar said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had repeatedly voiced the same concern and urged countries to support efforts aimed at ending the fighting.“Our efforts must therefore focus on promoting dialogue and diplomacy. We must each do what we can, in whichever way we believe could be most effective, and support the efforts of others to bring this conflict to an end,” he said. “This is India’s strong conviction, and we are acting on it,” he added.‘WAR WILL END THROUGH DIALOGUE, NOT TRADE’Jaishankar said India remained in continuous contact with both Russia and Ukraine and was exploring proposals that could help reduce the intensity of the conflict and eventually end it.“We are trying to see if there are ideas and suggestions that can be developed in a way that contributes to the mitigation, ideally, the cessation of the conflict,” he said.Responding to a question about India’s purchases of Russian oil, Jaishankar rejected the argument that altering trade flows would bring the war to an end.“This war is not going to end because somebody chose to buy or not buy oil, alumina, fertilisers, metals or minerals,” he said.“It will end when there is diplomacy, dialogue and negotiation. So, let us diagnose the problem correctly,” he added.INDIA, POLAND EXPAND STRATEGIC TIESJaishankar and Sikorski also reviewed progress under the India-Poland Joint Action Plan for 2024-28.Their discussions covered trade, investment, technology, defence, energy, education and critical minerals. The two countries are also working on agreements in cybersecurity, space, clean coal and the protection of classified information.“I am confident that they will add both texture and substance to our ties,” Jaishankar said.The External Affairs Minister said the proposed India-European Union free trade agreement would create significant economic opportunities for both countries.“As a key member of the European Union, Poland naturally stands to gain in that process,” he said.Jaishankar also met Polish President Karol Nawrocki. Their discussions covered the strategic partnership, the conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia, the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor and the G20.The two sides also discussed supply-chain resilience and challenges related to the availability of food, fuel and fertilisers amid multiple global conflicts.Jaishankar said India and Poland, as democracies, market economies and open societies, could work together to shape global debates and deepen cooperation at the United Nations and other multilateral forums.- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Sep 4, 2026 21:44 IST