Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Ukraine, officials said Monday, weeks after his first trip to Moscow since Russia launched a full-scale invasion.
His upcoming visit to Ukraine – also his first since the start of the war – comes at a critical time as Kiev’s troops push further into Russian territory in a shock military offensive that has surprised even Kiev’s closest allies. At the same time, Russia is invading the interior of Ukraine at a critical juncture in the war.
Modi has repeatedly called for a ceasefire in Ukraine, without condemning Russia’s air campaign or denouncing the ground invasion. India has also abstained from all resolutions on Ukraine at the United Nations.
India remains heavily dependent on the Kremlin for military equipment and has increased purchases of discounted Russian crude, giving Russian President Vladimir Putin’s nation an important economic lifeline as it faces isolation from the West. Modi will visit Ukraine on August 23 at the invitation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, India’s foreign ministry said on Monday.
What the Indian Ministry of External Affairs says
“Prime Minister Modi’s upcoming visit to Ukraine will provide an opportunity to hold discussions on the full spectrum of bilateral relations,” the ministry’s secretary for the West, Tanmaya Lal, said in a briefing.
The minister reiterated that India has “maintained a very clear and consistent position that diplomacy and dialogue can resolve this conflict”. He said “lasting peace” can only be achieved through a negotiated settlement.Modi’s trip will also include a visit to Poland on August 21-22 – the first by an Indian prime minister in 45 years, the ministry said.
The trip comes a month after Modi visited Putin in July, a sign that the two nations remain close. Pictures and videos showed the two leaders hugging, chatting over tea, riding an electric vehicle and watching a horse show.
It is noted that India abstained from a UN resolution on the annexation of the Ukrainian provinces to Russia.
The condemnation of the Modi-Putin meeting and Modi’s position
Zelensky condemned the meeting, which coincided with a brazen attack in several Ukrainian cities and a deadly strike on a children’s hospital. The Ukrainian leader described the meeting 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 most bloodthirsty criminal in Moscow on such a day.”
Modi did not directly address the strikes during his trip, but said solutions to the conflicts were unlikely to come through war, but rather through peace and dialogue. The comments appeared to be his most critical yet against Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“Whether it is conflict, war or terrorism, every person who believes in humanity is troubled when there are deaths, especially when innocent children die,” Modi said while sitting next to the Russian president.
“As a friend, I have always said that peace is necessary for the well-being of future generations, but I also know that on the battlefield, solutions are not easy to find among guns, bombs and bullets. We must adopt a path to peace through dialogue,” he added.
From what is implied by the American CNN article, Volodymyr Zelensky would like Narendra Modi to take initiatives for a ceasefire or the final end of the war. India is obviously opposed to any war, but practically takes part if there is an interest.
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