India's PM plans visit to Ukraine this week – Reuters
Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Ukraine this week, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of India confirmed.
The date of the visit to Ukraine has not been announced yet, but according to reports from Indian media, it may take place by the end of this week. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of India also stated that the trip's details will be revealed on Monday, August 19.
The visit takes place amid a tricky balancing act for Modi, who is trying to maintain a historically strong bond with Moscow while also seeking to bolster alliances with Western nations in order to limit the influence of China, India's main competitor in the region.
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the Indian government has avoided direct condemnation of the Russian invasion, urging the parties to dialogue to resolve the conflict.
Modi's July visit to Moscow came shortly after Russian artillery shelling killed more than three dozen people in Ukraine and severely damaged a children's hospital in Kyiv.
Modi visited Russia for the first time in 5 years. He toured Vladimir Putin's residence in Moscow, and during their meeting, the Russian leader embraced Modi and welcomed him as a "dear friend," according to Kremlin media reports.
Zelensky slammed Modi for his meeting with Putin. The Ukrainian president stated that he was "extremely disappointed" to see the leader of the world's largest democracy embracing the world's most notorious criminal in Moscow on such a day.
During his visit to Italy this year for the G7 summit, Zelensky had the opportunity to meet with Prime Minister Modi. He congratulated Modi on his election victory, and they also discussed the progress of bilateral relations between their countries.
Even earlier, in 2023, the President of Ukraine and the Prime Minister of India also met on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Japan. During that meeting, Zelensky thanked him for supporting Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty and for humanitarian aid.
He also told Modi about the Ukrainian "peace formula" and invited India to join the implementation of this initiative.
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It is worth mentioning that India has maintained strong relationships with Russia since the Cold War era, when Moscow played a crucial role in supplying arms to New Delhi. With the onset of the war in Ukraine, Russia has also emerged as a significant oil provider to India at discounted rates, resulting in substantial economic advantages for India and bolstering the Russian economy amidst Western sanctions.
Despite these connections, India is under pressure from Western nations who aim to bolster their ties with New Delhi in opposition to China and its increasing influence in the Asia-Pacific area. India is part of the "QUAD," which also consists of the USA, Japan, and Australia, which presents itself as a counterbalance to China.
