The key facts

  • Lavrov and Jaishankar discussed bilateral cooperation and the situation around Ukraine by phone
  • Jaishankar named the Ukrainian conflict and current diplomatic initiatives as topics of the conversation
  • A new round of trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi begins on Tuesday

Phone call on the eve of the Abu Dhabi talks

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a phone conversation with India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Anadolu reports. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the sides discussed bilateral cooperation as well as current regional and international issues. Jaishankar himself wrote in his account on the X platform that the conversation focused on the Ukrainian conflict and current diplomatic initiatives.

Context: preparations for a new round of talks

The conversation took place after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held phone talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Zelensky informed him about the preparations for the upcoming trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi and called on Russia to demonstrate readiness for de-escalation. The sides also discussed Russian restrictions on grain exports through the Black Sea: according to Zelensky, India is ready to act as a mediator in creating food corridors, and Modi confirmed New Delhi's commitment to resolving the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.

What is known about the talks schedule

Representatives of Russia, Ukraine and the United States are to gather in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday for a new round of trilateral peace talks. According to Anadolu, previous talks mediated by the United States took place earlier this year: three rounds were held on January 23–24, February 4–5 and February 17–18, with the first two in Abu Dhabi and the third in Geneva.