Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Ukraine on Friday at an invitation by President Volodymyr Zelensky to, reportedly, plead for a peaceful solution to the present, ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Notably, this is the first-ever visit by any Prime Minister of India since the two countries came into diplomatic relations back in 1992.
After traveling for 10 hours on Rail Force One from Poland, PM Modi was given a warm welcome in Kyiv. From the station, Modi drove to the Hyatt Hotel for preliminary discussions and was received enthusiastically by members of the Indian diaspora.
The main purpose of PM Modi's visit was to look for ways to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict peacefully. Indeed, India is perceived to be playing a constructive role in mediating between the two nations.
While leaving from Delhi, PM Modi expressed his eagerness to continue discussions with President Zelenskyy on enhancing bilateral cooperation and sharing insights on peacefully resolving the conflict.
This visit also comes almost six weeks after PM Modi's trip to Moscow, where he had talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and which caused a lot of flutter in the West.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, PM Modi's engagements in Kyiv will include a wide gamut of issues pertaining to bilateral cooperation in politics, trade, economy, investments, education, cultural exchanges, and humanitarian aid.
According to the high office of Ukrainian President Zelensky, a range of issues would come up for discussion between PM Modi and President Zelensky, where such issues would include both bilateral and multilateral cooperation, thus underlining the weight the mandate of the visit carries. It is also expected to culminate in the signing of several agreements between Ukraine and India.
PM Modi last met Zelensky on June 14 on the sidelines of the 50th G7 Summit in Apulia, Italy, when the two leaders had discussed the prevailing conflict and the overall bilateral relations. During this meeting, PM Modi reiterated that India remained committed to the pursuit of a peaceful solution through dialogue and diplomacy.
India has taken a very balanced view of the Russia-Ukraine war, which has allowed it to speak actively with both warring countries on reconciliatory matters.
Additionally, New Delhi has also provided lifesaving medicines and medical equipment to Ukraine for humanitarian purposes.
Before going to Ukraine, PM Modi took a historic visit to Poland—the first by an Indian prime minister in the last 45 years. There, he met with Polish President Andrzej Sebastian Duda and Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who expressed confidence that PM Modi would plead for peace in finding a solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Read also | Putin Claims Ukraine Attempted Strike on Kursk Nuclear Power Plant
Read also | Bangladesh Government Reclaims Diplomatic Passports from Former Prime Minister Hasina
