Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit wartime Kyiv for talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday, the first trip by an Indian prime minister to Ukraine since the country became independent in 1991.
The Prime Minister on Thursday left for a historic visit to Ukraine after concluding his two-day “productive” trip to Poland during which he held wide-ranging talks with the Polish leadership. Modi, who is visiting Ukraine at the invitation of Zelenskyy, has said that he will share with the Ukrainian leader perspectives on peaceful resolution of the ongoing conflict.
The visit comes at a volatile juncture in the war in Ukraine, with Ukrainian forces still in Russia’s western Kursk region following their incursion on Aug. 6 and Russian troops grinding out slow but steady advances in Ukraine’s east. The visit, which follows a trip by Modi to Moscow in July, is important for Western-backed Kyiv, which has been trying to nurture diplomatic relations in the Global South in its efforts to secure a fair settlement to end the war.
“I look forward to the opportunity to … share perspectives on peaceful resolution of the ongoing Ukraine conflict,” Modi said before the trip. “As a friend and partner, we hope for an early return of peace and stability in the region.” Modi’s visit to Moscow last month coincided with a heavy Russian missile strike on Ukraine that hit a children’s hospital. The attack prompted Modi to use emotive language to deliver an implicit rebuke to Putin at their summit.
India has not yet condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and has been calling for resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy. Before leaving Warsaw, Modi said that his Poland visit was “special”. “It is after decades that an Indian PM set foot on Polish soil,” Modi said in a post on X at the end of his visit to Warsaw. Modi arrived in Poland on Wednesday on the first leg of his two-nation visit during which he will also travel to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.
His visit to Poland is the first trip by an Indian Prime Minister to the country in the past 45 years. “This visit gave an opportunity to deepen cooperation with a valued friend. We look forward to closer business and cultural connect with Poland. Our friendship can certainly contribute to a better planet. I thank the Polish people and Government for their warmth,” the prime minister added.
(With agency inputs)
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