Modi Speaks to Zelenskyy Before Abu Dhabi Peace Talks as Ukraine Asks India to Mediate on Black Sea Grain Corridors

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke by telephone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday, 9 November 2026, just one day before American-mediated peace talks between Ukraine and Russia are due to begin in Abu Dhabi.

The call covered the war in Ukraine, the humanitarian situation on the ground, and ways to strengthen ties between India and Ukraine. Zelenskyy also raised a new idea: India could help mediate the creation of food corridors through the Black Sea so that Ukrainian grain can reach world markets again.

The conversation comes at a delicate moment. Russia and Ukraine are about to sit down with American negotiators for the first time since February, while Russian strikes on Ukraine’s power grid have left hundreds of thousands of people without electricity as winter approaches. Here is what happened, what was agreed, and what to watch for next.

What the two leaders discussed

According to a statement from the Indian Prime Minister’s Office, Zelenskyy shared his assessment of recent developments in the conflict, and the two leaders discussed ways to expand cooperation between India and Ukraine across different sectors.

Modi described the conversation as productive. In a post on X after the call, he wrote: “Glad to have had a productive telephone conversation with President Zelenskyy. We reviewed our wide-ranging bilateral cooperation and agreed to further strengthen India-Ukraine ties. I thanked President Zelenskyy for sharing his perspectives on the ongoing conflict, its humanitarian aspects and various efforts to restore peace. Reiterated India’s firm commitment to contributing in every possible way towards a peaceful resolution.”

The Prime Minister’s Office said Modi repeated India’s long-held position: the conflict must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy, and India is ready to contribute to every effort aimed at a peaceful resolution. The statement also stressed what India calls its “human-centric approach” to the war — putting the suffering of ordinary people first.

Zelenskyy, in his own post on X, said he had briefed Modi on the latest diplomatic developments and on Ukraine’s preparations for the meeting in Abu Dhabi. “We are actively preparing on every item on the agenda for the meeting in Abu Dhabi. Ukraine has always taken a constructive approach, and Russia must show the same readiness to de-escalate,” he wrote.

The Ukrainian president also spoke on Monday with Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, about the damage Russian attacks have caused to electricity, water and heating supplies in Ukrainian cities and towns.

The grain corridor offer — why it matters

The most concrete idea to come out of the call was about food. Zelenskyy said the two leaders discussed how Russia is blocking grain exports in the Black Sea, and that India is ready to act as a mediator in setting up food corridors.

“We discussed Russia’s blocking of grain exports via the Black Sea. India is ready to mediate in establishing food corridors, and we are counting on these efforts to continue,” Zelenskyy wrote.

This matters far beyond Ukraine. Before the war, Ukraine was one of the world’s biggest exporters of wheat, corn and sunflower oil. When its Black Sea ports were blocked or attacked, global food prices rose, and countries in Africa and Asia that depend on Ukrainian grain felt the impact first. Getting grain moving again through the Black Sea is therefore not just a Ukrainian issue — it is a global food security issue.

India’s offer to mediate is also significant because of the position India holds. New Delhi has kept working channels open with both Moscow and Kyiv throughout the war, and it buys large amounts of Russian oil while also maintaining close ties with Ukraine. That puts India in a rare position: it is one of the few major countries that both sides still talk to.

Resuming grain shipments through the Black Sea is already on Kyiv’s list of priorities for the Abu Dhabi talks, alongside stopping strikes on energy facilities and expanding prisoner exchanges. If India can help open a path on the grain question, it could give the talks an early, practical result even if the bigger political questions take longer.

The Abu Dhabi talks — what is on the table

The talks in Abu Dhabi are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, 10 and 11 November. Negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the United States will take part, with the US acting as mediator. It will be the first round involving all three sides since February, according to the Associated Press.

Security guarantees are expected to be the central subject. Ukraine wants clear commitments on what its partners would do if Russia attacked again after any settlement. Russia is also seeking assurances of its own. The two sides remain far apart on territory, Ukraine’s future relationship with NATO, and the terms of any ceasefire — so the talks are a diplomatic step, not evidence that a deal is close.

The Russian delegation is headed by Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to President Vladimir Putin who led Russia’s delegation in the first direct peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul in March 2022. The Ukrainian delegation is led by Rustem Umerov, the head of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service. The American side is expected to be led by US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

The delegations were already on the move on Monday. Russia’s delegation left for Abu Dhabi, and Zelenskyy spent the day briefing partners, including Modi and von der Leyen, on Ukraine’s preparations.

There is some recent history to build on. The previous round of US-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi, in February, produced an agreement to exchange 314 prisoners of war, according to Witkoff. And last month, a localised truce around the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky in southern Ukraine — brokered with the help of US first lady Melania Trump — allowed some residents to leave and humanitarian supplies to reach the area, the Associated Press reported.

But expectations should stay modest. Earlier rounds of talks this year failed to produce any visible progress toward ending a war that is now in its fifth year and is Europe’s most devastating conflict since World War II.

The war on the ground — power cuts and the nuclear plant

The diplomacy is happening against a grim backdrop. Russia struck Ukraine’s power grid again over the weekend, and Ukrainian officials said twelve regions came under attack, with the capital Kyiv hit hardest. Hundreds of thousands of people were left without power.

The attacks on energy infrastructure have become a central feature of the war as winter approaches. Ukraine has listed halting strikes on energy facilities and critical infrastructure among its priorities for the Abu Dhabi talks.

There was also fresh concern about nuclear safety. Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the largest in Europe, lost its external electricity supply and had to run on emergency diesel generators to keep its reactors cool, before power was restored on Sunday. The International Atomic Energy Agency said radiation levels remained normal. The plant has repeatedly lost external power during the war, and each outage raises fears about the safety of its reactors.

These are the conditions ordinary Ukrainians are living with while the talks are prepared: power cuts, damaged heating systems, and a nuclear plant that keeps losing its connection to the grid.

Where India fits in

India’s role in the Ukraine war has always been different from that of Western countries. India has not joined Western sanctions on Russia, and it continues to buy Russian oil. At the same time, it has repeatedly said the war must end through talks, and Modi told Putin in 2022 that “this is not an era of war.”

That balancing act has sometimes drawn criticism from Western capitals. But it is also what makes India a possible bridge. Ukraine is now openly asking India to use its channels with Moscow — first on grain corridors, and possibly on wider questions later.

The two leaders have spoken regularly during the war. Modi visited Kyiv in August 2024, the first visit by an Indian prime minister to Ukraine, and the two leaders met again on 17 June 2026 on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France. Their previous telephone conversation was on 30 August 2025, when Modi again reaffirmed India’s support for an early and peaceful settlement.

For India, the grain corridor question also has a direct interest. India is home to more than a billion people, and global food prices affect Indian households as much as anyone’s. Helping to reopen a safe route for Ukrainian grain would serve India’s own interests as well as Ukraine’s.

What happens next

Four things will decide whether this week’s diplomacy goes anywhere.

First, the Abu Dhabi talks themselves. The sessions on 10 and 11 November will show whether the two sides can agree on anything beyond prisoner exchanges — for example, a pause in strikes on energy infrastructure, or a framework for security guarantees.

Second, the grain question. If India does take up a mediating role on Black Sea food corridors, watch for any announcement from New Delhi, Kyiv or Moscow in the coming days. A working grain corridor would be the first concrete benefit of the talks for the rest of the world.

Third, the fighting. Russia’s strikes on Ukraine’s power grid continued even as the talks were being prepared. If the attacks pause during or after Abu Dhabi, that would be a real signal. If they intensify, it would suggest Moscow is negotiating with one hand and striking with the other.

Fourth, the wider diplomacy. US negotiators are also due to meet European allies — including France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the European Union and NATO — in Brussels later in the week. Europe has been pushing for a seat at the table, and how Washington handles that will shape whether any Abu Dhabi outcome holds.

For now, the Modi–Zelenskyy call is a small but telling piece of the picture. Ukraine is widening the circle of countries it asks for help, and it is asking India not just for sympathy but for practical mediation. Whether that help can move grain ships through the Black Sea — and whether the Abu Dhabi talks can move the war any closer to an end — will become clearer in the next few days.

Frequently asked questions

What did Modi and Zelenskyy discuss on 9 November 2026?

They spoke by telephone about the war in Ukraine, its humanitarian impact, and ways to strengthen India–Ukraine cooperation. Zelenskyy briefed Modi on diplomatic developments and preparations for the Abu Dhabi peace talks, and the two leaders discussed Russia blocking grain exports in the Black Sea.

What is the grain corridor proposal?

Zelenskyy said India is ready to act as a mediator in establishing food corridors through the Black Sea so Ukrainian grain can be exported again. Russia is currently blocking those exports, which matters for global food prices and for countries that depend on Ukrainian wheat and corn.

When are the Abu Dhabi peace talks?

The talks are scheduled for 10 and 11 November 2026 in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates. Negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the United States will take part, with the US mediating. It is the first round involving all three sides since February.

What is on the agenda in Abu Dhabi?

Security guarantees are expected to be the main subject — what happens if Russia attacks again after any settlement. The talks are also expected to cover de-escalation, humanitarian measures, energy strikes, grain shipments and prisoner exchanges.

Who is leading each delegation?

Russia’s delegation is headed by Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to President Putin. Ukraine’s delegation is led by Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service. The US side is expected to be led by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

Has India mediated in the Ukraine war before?

India has consistently called for dialogue and diplomacy and has kept channels open with both Moscow and Kyiv. Modi visited Kyiv in August 2024 and met Zelenskyy again at the G7 Summit in France in June 2026. The grain corridor proposal is the most specific mediating role Ukraine has publicly asked India to take.

Conclusion

A phone call does not end a war. But the conversation between Modi and Zelenskyy on Monday tells us something useful about where the diplomacy stands. Ukraine is preparing seriously for Abu Dhabi, it is asking a wider group of countries for help, and it sees India as a country that can talk to both sides.

The grain corridor idea is the most practical thing to come out of the call. If India can help get Ukrainian wheat and corn moving through the Black Sea again, that would help millions of people far from the battlefield — and it would give the Abu Dhabi talks something real to show for themselves.

The harder questions — territory, security guarantees, and whether Russia is willing to de-escalate — are still unanswered. The talks on 10 and 11 November will show whether the two sides are ready to move on any of them. Until then, Ukraine faces another winter of power cuts, and the world watches to see whether diplomacy can finally catch up with the fighting.

Sources

• CNBC-TV18: Zelenskyy seeks India’s help in ending Russia-Ukraine war, proposes mediation on grain exports — https://www.cnbctv18.com/world/zelenskyy-seeks-indias-help-in-ending-russia-ukraine-war-proposes-mediation-on-grain-exports-20030621.htm
• The New Indian Express: PM Modi speaks to Zelensky, reiterates commitment to peaceful resolution of Ukraine war — https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Nov/09/pm-modi-zelenskyy-discuss-ukraine-conflict-india-reiterates-readiness-to-support-peace-efforts
• Outlook India: PM Modi speaks to Zelenskyy, Ukraine conflict, peaceful resolution — https://www.outlookindia.com/international/pm-modi-speaks-to-zelenskyy-ukraine-conflict-peaceful-resolution
• ETV Bharat: PM Modi speaks with Ukraine President Zelenskyy — https://www.etvbharat.com/en/bharat/pm-modi-speaks-with-ukraine-president-zelenskyy-enn26110905466
• Associated Press (via ETV Bharat): US-led peace talks for Russia and Ukraine will look at security guarantees for both sides — https://www.etvbharat.com/en/international/us-led-peace-talks-for-russia-and-ukraine-will-look-at-security-guarantees-for-both-sides-enn26110904792
• Business Today: PM Modi speaks with Zelenskyy, says India ready to help end Russia-Ukraine war — https://www.businesstoday.in/amp/india/story/pm-modi-speaks-with-zelenskyy-says-india-ready-to-help-end-russia-ukraine-war-566559-2026-11-09
• APA (via TASS): Russian delegation leaves for Abu Dhabi for negotiations on Ukraine — https://en.apa.az/europe/russian-delegation-leaves-for-abu-dhabi-for-negotiations-on-ukraine-535107
• Newsmax (Reuters): Ukraine-Russia, Steve Witkoff — https://www.newsmax.com/politics/ukraine-russia-steve-witkoff/2026/11/02/id/1274879

This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.