Indian Prime Minister’s Historic Visit to Ukraine
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a historic visit to Kyiv, meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky to promote a peaceful resolution to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
“I arrived in Kyiv this morning. The Indian community gave me a warm welcome,” Modi posted on social media platform X on August 23, sharing images of himself with Indian and Indian-origin citizens in Ukraine.
President Zelensky later welcomed Modi at the Mariinsky Palace. This visit marks the first time an Indian Prime Minister has traveled to Ukraine since 1991. Prior to the trip, Modi expressed his desire to share “perspectives on a peaceful solution to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.”
The visit comes amid heightened tensions in the prolonged conflict, with Ukrainian forces making some progress in the Kursk region of western Russia, following a cross-border operation that began on August 6. Meanwhile, Russian forces are making slow but steady advances in eastern Ukraine.
Modi visited Moscow in July, making his visit to Ukraine significant as Kyiv seeks to strengthen ties with developing nations in its efforts to find a fair resolution to the conflict.
Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to the Ukrainian president’s office, emphasized the importance of Modi’s visit, noting that New Delhi “does have some influence” over Moscow. “It is crucial for us to build effective relationships with such countries to explain how the war should end. It is also in their interest,” he said.
India, which has strong economic and defense ties with Russia, has publicly criticized the loss of innocent lives due to the conflict. However, New Delhi has also strengthened economic relations with Moscow following Western sanctions imposed on Russia for its military actions in Ukraine.
Indian refineries, which rarely purchased Russian oil in the past, have become major buyers of Russian seaborne oil. Russian oil now accounts for more than two-fifths of India’s oil imports.
Ukraine has expressed hope of organizing a second international summit by the end of the year to advance a peace vision with participation from representatives of Russia. The first summit, held in Switzerland in June, included many parties, including an Indian delegation. However, Russia was not invited to this event.
