Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday, a day ahead of trilateral talks involving Russia, the US and Ukraine in Abu Dhabi.The negotiations are expected to mark the first direct engagements between the parties in months.In a statement, the Union Government said, “Prime Minister Modi had a telephone conversation today with President Zelenskyy and conveyed India’s readiness to contribute to all efforts aimed at a peaceful resolution of the conflict.”The statement said Zelenskyy shared his perspective on recent developments related to the ongoing conflict. Modi reaffirmed India’s human-centric approach and reiterated New Delhi’s consistent position that the conflict must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.The two leaders also discussed ways to further strengthen India-Ukraine bilateral cooperation across sectors for the mutual benefit of both countries.Meanwhile, Zelenskyy posted on X that he had briefed Modi on the latest diplomatic developments. “We are actively preparing 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.Modi has repeatedly said, including directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin, that this was not an era of war and that the conflict should end through dialogue. Zelenskyy said it was important for India to identify what steps it could take and what dialogue it could pursue with other leaders to help bring the war to an end.He suggested food security could be one such area. “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,” he said.He added that Russia must understand that disruptions to shipping routes were affecting the global economy and hundreds of millions of people worldwide.India and Ukraine agreed that officials from both sides would remain in touch on these issues as well as other bilateral matters.