Ties with Russia has always been steady: Jaishankar

India is not planning to invite Ukraine to the G20 summit in September here, external affairs minister S Jaishankar hinted on Thursday. He described India’s ties with Russia has always been steady.

“G20 is only for members. Haven’t reviewed the list nor has anyone talked to us about it," Jaishankar told reporters here on Thursday in response to query on prospective invite to Ukraine for G20 summit here on September 9-10.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the summit of G7 in Hiroshima in May.


In April, Ukraine's first deputy foreign affairs minister Emine Dzhaparova visited New Delhi and attempted to set the ball rolling for Ukraine's participation in the G20 summit.

"I think India is a global player. It is really a 'Vishwaguru' of the world. We are feeling the pain by actually fighting for the values. This is about justice... Russia is questioning the very existence of my country. In our history of 1,500 years, Ukraine never attacked any country," said Dzheppar during that visit. India was non committal on her proposal.

Addressing a press conference to mark nine years of the Narendra Modi-led government, Jaishankar said: “The world, especially the Global South, perceives India as a development partner – as a credible, effective development partner with delivery on the ground.”

Jaishankar added, “A large part of the world sees us as a development partner, not just as a development partner but a development partner who lives up to what PM enunciated…Today, the second image of India is that of an economic collaborator.”