A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met US President Donald Trump at the White House and said that India is on the side of peace in the Russia-Ukraine war, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha in Munich and discussed efforts towards resolving the conflict. Jaishankar posted on X, “Good to meet FM @andrii_sybiha of Ukraine on sidelines of #MSC2025 today. Discussed ongoing efforts towards resolution of the Ukraine conflict”. “Also spoke about further advancement of our bilateral cooperation.” The Ukrainian Foreign minister expressed gratitude to Jaishankar for their "meaningful meeting," and emphasised a shared interest in advancing cooperation with India across various sectors, including trade, technology, agriculture, and security. Jaishankar held a meeting with Sybiha on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference (MSC) Friday. Sharing a post on X, Sybiha said, "I thank @DrSJaishankar for our meaningful meeting. We are interested in developing relations with India and advancing cooperation in trade, technology, agriculture, security, and other areas. We also rely on India's strong global voice to bring a just and lasting peace closer." This exchange came against the backdrop of a controversial address by US Vice President J D Vance at the conference on free speech and immigration which riled many European leaders, “The threat that I worry the most about vis-à-vis Europe is not Russia. It’s not China. It’s not any other external actor,” Vance said. “What I worry about is the threat from within — the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values, values shared with the United States of America.” Good to meet FM @andrii_sybiha of Ukraine on sidelines of #MSC2025 today. Discussed ongoing efforts towards resolution of the Ukraine conflict. Also spoke about further advancement of our bilateral cooperation. 🇮🇳 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/x9jW8NUyCq — Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) February 14, 2025 This echoed at many a session including one where Jaishankar was on the panel along with Rafal Trzaskowski, Mayor of Warsaw; Elissa Slotkin, US Democrat Senator and Norway Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store. Speaking at the discussion titled ‘Live to Vote Another Day: Fortifying Democratic Resilience,” Jaishankar said, “There was a time, I’ve to say this in all honesty, where the West treated democracy as a Western characteristic and was busy encouraging non-democratic forces in the Global South. It still does. Everything you value at home, you don’t practice abroad." Calling himself an “optimist” in a possible room of pessimists, he reflected on the vibrancy of India’s elections and how democracy had delivered in India on economic well-being, too, a point Slotkin had flagged when she said in the US, the middle class felt let-down by democracy because it had lost social mobility. Started the #MSC2025 with a panel on ‘Live to Vote Another Day: Fortifying Democratic Resilience’. Joined PM @jonasgahrstore, @ElissaSlotkin and @trzaskowski_. Highlighted India as a democracy that delivers. Differed with the prevailing political pessimism. Spoke my mind on… pic.twitter.com/h3GUmeglst — Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) February 14, 2025 “The mark on my index finger is a mark of a person who just voted,” Jaishankar said. “We just had an election in my state. Last year, we had a national election. In Indian elections, 2/3rd of national voters vote. We count the votes in a single day and nobody disputes the results after it is announced. Today, in the modern era, 20 per cent more voters vote than they did decades ago," he said. "The message is that somehow democracy is in trouble globally, and I will have to disagree with it. We are voting well, we are optimistic about democracy and for us, democracy has actually delivered." Jaishankar defended India’s democratic model, noting that the country’s choice to adopt democracy after Independence was rooted in its basic consultative and pluralistic society. "India chose a democratic model after Independence, it chose that model because we had fundamentally a consultative, pluralistic society," he said. Earlier, US President Donald Trump held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week in which he said the two leaders would likely meet soon to negotiate a peace deal. Trump later assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that he, too, would have a seat at the table. The war was sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine three years ago. The Ukrainian President said that his country wants “security guarantees” before any talks with Russia. Zelenskyy said he will only agree to meet in-person with Putin after a common plan is negotiated with Trump. After a 40-minute meeting with Zelenskyy, Vance said the Trump administration is committed to finding a lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia.
