Mumbai, March 17: As the call for peace talks has gained pace in recent months, the presence of Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha in New Delhi today to attend the three-day conference (March 17 – 19) assumes great significance.
The war, now is in its third year, seems to have taken a new direction following the White House spat between President Volodymyr Zelensky, US President Donald Trump, and Vice President JD Vance last week. It was also the subject of discussion at the European leader’s summit in London and direct talks between Americans and Russians in Riyadh.
During the visit to New Delhi, the Ukrainian foreign minister will meet with External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, hold sideline talks amid the discourse, and may call on PM Narendra Modi.
The Raisina Dialogue, India’s flagship conference on geopolitics and geo-economics, is committed to addressing the most challenging issues facing the international community also reflecting India’s emergence as a key player in international affairs. This is its tenth year.
Launched in 2016 as a joint initiative between the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India and the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), a prominent Indian think tank, the conference is named after Raisina Hill, the seat of India’s central government in New Delhi. It was conceptualized as a strategic affairs forum, similar to other major global summits such as the Munich Security Conference (Germany) and the Shangri-La Dialogue (Singapore). The dialogue is organized as a multi-stakeholder conference, involving discussions among heads of state, ministers, think tanks, academics, business leaders, and representatives of international organizations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the event, with New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon as the Chief Guest, delivering the keynote address.
This year’s dialogue witnesses the participation of around 125 countries, bringing together ministers, former heads of state, military commanders, industry leaders, academics, journalists, and strategic affairs experts. The central theme for 2025 is “Kālachakra – People, Peace, and Planet”, with discussions organized around six thematic pillars, including global politics, climate challenges, digital governance, economic shifts, development models, and peace-building efforts, as per the MEA press release.
US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is also here for an intelligence chiefs today and is likely to meet PM Modi and National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval. The organizers had extended an invitation to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. However, he has not come, citing scheduling issues. The president of the Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations at the Russian Academy of Science, Alexander A Dynkin, is, however, in attendance.
Also here are the foreign ministers of Norway, Sweden, Slovenia, Latvia, Moldova, and Georgia, showing concern about the implications of the war in their backyard.
Jaishankar and Sybiha have engaged in multiple discussions in recent months. Their latest in-person meeting took place on February 15, 2025, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in Germany, following earlier meetings in Rome (November 25, 2024) and a telephonic conversation (September 19, 2024) after Sybiha’s appointment.
In March 2024, former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba visited India, the first such visit in decades, where he met Dr. Jaishankar to discuss the Russia-Ukraine conflict and Ukraine’s “Peace Formula”. Another milestone in India-Ukraine relations came in August 2024, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ukraine, marking the first-ever visit by an Indian PM to the country since its independence in 1991. During his brief stay in Kyiv, PM Modi met with Zelenskyy to discuss the conflict and enhance bilateral ties.
India has been in touch with US, Russia, Ukraine and European leaders over last several months, especially after Trump assumed office. PM Modi has met both Putin and Zelenskyy since July last year. On Thursday, Putin met with US envoy Steve Witkoff to discuss the details of the American proposal for a 30-day ceasefire.
