Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived in the Ukrainian capital Kiev where he will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a meeting that will be closely watched in Russia as attacks on its neighbor escalate.
Modi’s visit, the first by an Indian leader since Ukraine’s independence, comes just weeks after he traveled to Moscow on a symbolic first overseas trip of his new term as leader, where he held talks with President Vladimir Putin that were criticized by Kiev.
New Delhi has repeatedly called for a ceasefire and peace in Ukraine but has refrained from condemning Russia’s invasion as it seeks to maintain relations with Moscow, a major supplier of its weapons and a longtime partner it sees as essential to balancing its tense relationship with China.
India has also acted as an economic lifeline for Russia, stepping up purchases of crude oil after countries around the world imposed sanctions on Moscow, isolating it economically.
India overtook China as the world’s biggest importer of Russian oil last month, according to Reuters, citing data from trade and industry sources.
The Indian leader’s arrival in Kiev — a day before Ukraine’s independence day — follows his two-day trip to Poland, where he elevated India’s ties with the NATO member.
Referring to the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East during a press conference in Warsaw, Modi reiterated India’s stance that “no problem can be resolved on the battlefield”.
“We support dialogue and diplomacy for the early restoration of peace and stability. To this end, India, along with its friendly countries, is ready to provide all possible support,” Modi said on Thursday, speaking alongside Polish counterpart Donald Tusk.
Tusk praised Modi’s “intention to help end the war in Ukraine quickly, peacefully and justly.”
“Historic visit”
Modi’s visit to Ukraine also comes at a key turning point in the two-and-a-half-year-old war, as Ukrainian forces earlier this month launched an unprecedented offensive into Russian territory that Moscow is struggling to contain.
Zelensky and the Kiev authorities are working urgently to expand global support for their peace formula, which is based on the withdrawal of Russian troops from their lands.
The upcoming US presidential election has raised concerns that crucial American support could be cut off if Republican candidate Donald Trump, who has criticized NATO and US support for Kiev, is elected.
Throughout the war, Ukraine has tried to convince countries that have close ties to Russia — such as India and China — to pressure Putin to accept Kiev’s peace terms.
But while India attended a Kiev-backed international peace summit in Switzerland in June, it stopped short of endorsing the communiqué, saying the resolution required “sincere and practical engagement between the two parties to the conflict”.
During his visit to Ukraine, Modi is expected to discuss with Zelensky what India’s foreign ministry described as “the entire gamut of bilateral relations”, including trade, infrastructure and defence.
“This historic visit, of course, comes against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which will also be part of the discussions,” the ministry’s Western Affairs secretary, Tanmaya Lal, said on Monday.
The Ukrainian presidential office said Modi and Zelensky would “discuss issues of bilateral and multilateral cooperation” and that documents would be signed.
Officials in both countries have in recent months expressed interest in restoring trade, which plunged during the war, according to annual data from Ukraine.
Modi and Zelensky have met twice on the sidelines of G7 summits since the war began, including in June in Italy.
Zelensky last month condemned Modi’s meeting with Putin, which coincided with a Russian attack on several Ukrainian cities and a deadly attack on a children’s hospital.
The Ukrainian leader then described Modi’s relationship with Putin as a “huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts to see the leader of the world’s largest democracy embrace the world’s bloodiest criminal in Moscow on a recent day.”
Modi did not directly address the attacks at the time, but made what appeared to be some of his most critical comments to date about the war, saying that “anyone who believes in humanity is concerned when there are deaths, especially when innocent children die.”
He also called for a “path to peace through dialogue.”
(Aishwarya S Iyer, Esha Mitra and Alex Stambaugh, from CNN contributed to this report)
Here’s what we know about Ukraine’s incursion into Russian territory
This content was originally published in Indian Prime Minister arrives in Ukraine for meeting with Zelensky weeks after meeting Putin on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
