Modi visits Ukraine, India's first in 30 years
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Volodymyr Zelensky expects multiple yet unnamed documents to be signed during Modi's visit on Friday.
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This handout photograph taken and released by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Service on May 20, 2023, shows Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky meeting India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Japan. (AFP)
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has landed in Ukraine, as many anticipate he will press for a deal to end the war with Russia during his historic meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday in Kiev.
Only a few weeks after Ukraine's massive counteroffensive into Russian territory and two and a half years after Russia's war in Ukraine, Modi is positioning himself as a potential peacemaker.
Modi posted on X to say, "Reached Kyiv earlier this morning. The Indian community accorded a very warm welcome."
Before departing, Modi said, “No problem can be resolved on a battlefield,” adding that India supported “dialogue and diplomacy for restoration of peace and stability as soon as possible”.
Modi is the first Indian PM to visit Ukraine in 30 years.
Advisor in the Ukrainian president's office, Mykhailo Podolyak, told Reuters that New Delhi "really has a certain influence" on Moscow, which makes Modi's visit to Kiev noteworthy.
"It's extremely important for us to effectively build relations with such countries, to explain to them what the correct end to the war is - and that it is also in their interests," he added.
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Modi received backlash in Kiev following Russia visit
Being too close to Vladimir Putin, in the eyes of many in Ukraine, makes it questionable if Modi himself could help broker a compromise. Following his July visit to Moscow, he received backlash in Kiev for his embrace with the Russian president.
Along with talking about "deepening the India-Ukraine friendship," Modi stated that he would "share perspectives on peaceful resolution of the ongoing Ukraine conflict" with Zelensky. On Thursday, he was in Poland before he headed to Ukraine.
“As a friend and partner, we hope for an early return of peace and stability in the region,” Modi posted on social media.
"A number of documents are also expected to be signed" at their meeting, according to the Ukrainian President.
Delhi has urged both sides to settle their problems amicably rather than publicly denouncing the war in Ukraine, and has abstained from voting on UN resolutions that criticize Russia.
Ukraine has criticized Modi for his prior diplomatic attempts.
India has also been accused of profiting off of the war in Ukraine. Cut off from Western markets, Russia is now one of India's main suppliers of crude oil. The agreement has fundamentally changed their economic relations and saved India billions of dollars in fuel costs, but it has also drawn criticism from the West for allegedly supporting Moscow's military budget.
