New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said in Kyiv on Thursday that stopping purchases of Russian oil would not bring an end to the Ukraine war, pushing back against Ukrainian position that economic pressure on Moscow through curbs on its oil exports could bring an end of the fighting.“This conflict, which is today in its fifth year, will not be solved because somebody is buying or not buying oil or alumina or minerals or metals or fertilizer,” Jaishankar said at a joint media briefing with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha after their talks. “This conflict will be solved by dialogue, by diplomacy, by negotiation.”He was responding to a question on whether India planned to reduce its purchases of Russian oil if the United States approved legislation providing for sanctions or tariffs against countries that continue to buy Russian energy.Jaishankar, who was making the first standalone bilateral visit to Ukraine by an Indian external affairs minister, said India understood Kyiv’s position on Russian oil but expected its own concerns to be respected.“You know, the reason for your question, I get that. But I think it’s also important that all of you get the challenges of providing for energy for 1.4 billion people at a time when the world energy situation is very, very difficult,” he said.Jaishankar said India respected Ukraine’s position on the issue but expected other countries to respect India’s position as well. “We have ours, which I would expect others to also respect,” he said.Russia remains India’s largest supplier of crude oil, although imports fell sharply in August after reaching record levels in June and July.India imported about 2.1 million barrels per day of Russian crude in August, according to data from maritime intelligence firm Kpler. The figure was down from about 2.6 million barrels per day in June and July. Russia nevertheless accounted for more than 40% of India’s crude imports and remained the country’s largest supplier.Kpler attributed the August decline to a combination of refinery maintenance in India, some normalisation after heavy purchases in previous months, lower Russian export availability and stronger competition from China for Russian barrels. Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil infrastructure have separately squeezed flows, pushing Indian refiners to widen their search for alternatives.Russian oil became a major component of India’s crude basket after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Western sanctions disrupted Russia’s traditional European markets, while Indian refiners took advantage of discounted Russian barrels that were available on the international market.The purchases have become one of the principal points of disagreement between New Delhi and Kyiv. Ukraine has argued that continued purchases provide Russia with revenues that help finance the war.The issue was raised during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Kyiv in August 2024. After meeting Modi, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that India could exert economic pressure on Russia by changing its approach to Russian oil.The Russian-oil issue also unexpectedly became a source of tension between India and the Trump administration, as the US had earlier given a silent blessing to ensure that there was no price volatility in the oil market.In August 2025, US President Donald Trump imposed an additional 25% tariff on imports from India, explicitly citing India’s purchase of Russian oil. This was also terminated by an executive order on February 6, 2026, which said India had committed to stop directly or indirectly importing Russian oil and had agreed to purchase US energy products.But, the disruption to supplies from West Asia earlier this year due to the Iran war led to New Delhi to turn back to Russia, as Indian refiners sought to protect themselves against possible shortages.Meanwhile, the US Senate on August 7 passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, which contains provisions allowing the US president to impose tariffs up to 100% on countries that are among the largest purchasers of Russian oil or gas.It was sent to the House after its passage in the Senate, but there is no House vote scheduled yet. Ukraine has been lobbying lawmakers in Washington for its passage, while some House Democrats have raised objections to the breadth of the proposed tariff and sanctions powers.Black Sea shipping becomes an Indian concernWhile diminishing Russia’s oil exports is a Ukrainian priority, India has been directly impacted by the increasing attacks on commercial shipping in and around the Black Sea.“I informed my (Indian) colleague about the escalation on the part of Russia and the systematic Russian attacks against civilian vessels, ports and infrastructure. The Black Sea has actually become a battlefield among the victims of Russian aggression,” said Sybiha at the media briefing.Jaishankar said attacks on commercial shipping were among the prominent issues discussed during his meeting with Sybiha.“Indian seafarers manned ships of many flags and have been among the unfortunate casualties,” he said.He said disruption to shipping was affecting countries across the Global South through its impact on fuel, fertiliser and food supplies.The issue has become particularly sensitive for India after five Indian merchant seafarers were killed in attacks in the Black Sea region in July, while two others went missing following another attack.On July 19, the bulk carrier MV Golden Leo was struck after leaving the Ukrainian port of Odesa. Four Indian seafarers were killed and another was critically injured.India subsequently summoned Russia’s chargé d’affaires and conveyed its “grave concerns” and “unequivocal condemnation” over the attack. Russia’s defence ministry said it had struck two bulk carriers at Odesa that it alleged were carrying military cargo.A day earlier, on July 18, the MV Omorfi was attacked while transiting the Black Sea, killing an Indian seafarer. India summoned Ukraine’s ambassador over the incident and condemned attacks on commercial vessels “in the strongest terms”.The next major incident came on July 25, when the MV AGN Ragnar was struck at Odesa. Four Indian nationals were aboard, out of which two were confirmed safe while two remained missing.After the attacks, India advised its nationals to carefully assess security risks before accepting assignments on commercial vessels operating in conflict-affected maritime areas, particularly the Black Sea.Sybiha told Jaishankar that Ukraine wanted India to play a larger role in efforts to restore freedom of navigation and involve a wider group of countries in addressing the problem.Peace efforts show tentative signs of movementThe discussions on ending the war took place as both Russia and Ukraine offered unusually positive assessments of the possibility of renewed diplomacy.Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on Thursday, said there was a chance of reaching an agreement to end the war. “Is there a chance? In my view, yes, there is,” Putin said, according to Reuters.Putin said several countries, including the United States and China, were prepared to support a peace settlement. But he also said the ultimate solution had to be reached by Russia and Ukraine.He noted contacts between Moscow and Kyiv were continuing, although primarily through intelligence channels, and questioned whether those contacts were leading towards a peace agreement.Putin also accused Ukraine of acts of “state terrorism” over attacks on civilian merchant vessels and warnings to airlines about the dangers of Russian airspace. He said those actions complicated the prospects for peace talks.Sybiha offered a similarly positive assessment when speaking alongside Jaishankar in Kyiv.“I believe that we will now have a new dynamic in the peace efforts, with the return of this active phase of political and diplomatic engagement in many capitals around the world,” he said.He did not provide details about any new negotiations, telling reporters to “watch the news”.The remarks came as diplomatic efforts to end the war remained stalled after a series of US-brokered meetings earlier this year. Russia and Ukraine last met in Geneva in February, but the talks failed to narrow their differences, particularly over territory and the terms of any security arrangements for Ukraine.Modi had again urged Putin this week on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Bishkek to move from “endless war” to an “end of war”.Sybiha welcomed the formulation on Thursday. “Prime Minister Modi said in the presence of Putin it is time to put an end to the endless war. We support this position. Ukraine is willing to end the war,” said the Ukrainian foreign minister.“Ukraine has realistic proposals, and it is time to move to diplomatic efforts,” he added.Jaishankar said India was prepared to assist if it could help the two sides find a way forward. “Understandably, it is for the parties involved to find a way. But if India can be of any help in any manner, we are ready,” he said.Fighting continues as Jaishankar visits KyivThe statements on diplomacy came as Russian and Ukrainian forces continued to exchange long-range attacks.Kyiv was hit by Russian drones for an eighth consecutive day on Thursday, with local authorities reporting injuries and damage to property.An Indian national was among those killed in Russian missile and drone strikes on Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine on September 1, two days before Jaishankar’s arrival. The Indian minister referred to the death at the beginning of his remarks.The Ukrainian President pointedly claimed that Russia launched jet-powered Shahed drones while Jaishankar was in Kyiv. He said Ukrainian fighter aircraft had protected the Indian delegation and that Ukrainian aviation had shot down most of the drones.“Today, while the Minister was here with us in Kyiv, Russia once again launched jet-powered ‘shaheds’,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X after his meeting with Jaishankar.Ukraine has meanwhile intensified its long-range drone campaign against Russia. Russian authorities reported hundreds of Ukrainian drones over Russian territory on Thursday, including attacks affecting the Moscow region and the Black Sea port of Sochi.