'He did it very bravely': Kyiv’s rare praise for Modi as envoy signals Zelenskyy’s India visit

Ukraine’s ambassador said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has agreed to visit India and that both sides are preparing for an intergovernmental joint commission meeting.

• Ukraine expects President Zelenskyy to visit India soon
• Joint commission talks planned to boost business and cooperation
• PM Modi's Kyiv visit seen as a key diplomatic signal

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Ukraine expects President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to visit India soon and is preparing for a joint intergovernmental commission meeting to deepen bilateral engagement, Ukraine’s Ambassador to India Oleksandr Polishchuk told ANI.

Speaking on the sidelines of an official programme in Gujarat, Polishchuk said the proposed visit follows an understanding reached during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Kyiv, where he met President Zelenskyy.

“I expected that the agreement which we got when the honourable Prime Minister had been in Kyiv, he actually met my President Zelenskyy and they agreed that President Zelenskyy will come to India,” Polishchuk told ANI.

Joint commission talks planned

The ambassador said Ukraine is looking forward to convening a joint commission meeting with the Indian government, describing it as an intergovernmental platform to discuss concrete areas of cooperation.

He said the talks would focus on business opportunities beyond tourism, including pharmaceuticals, industry and port development, with specific interest in capabilities available in Gujarat.

“We expect that we will have a joint commission meeting. It’s an intergovernmental committee. And we will have the opportunity to discuss in a more precise way all of the business opportunities,” he said.

Modi’s Kyiv visit cited as signal

Polishchuk also highlighted Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Ukraine during wartime, calling it a significant diplomatic signal.

“We need to take into account that he did it very bravely because it’s wartime in Ukraine. He was actually one of the only leaders who decided to come in from the South to come to Ukraine,” he said.

Modi’s visit was the first by an Indian prime minister to independent Ukraine since it gained independence in 1991.

Gujarat visit and outreach

The ambassador said his visit to Gujarat was part of a programme organised by the state government, aimed at showcasing the state’s economic potential and facilitating discussions at a major regional economic forum.

He said Ukraine values such platforms to expand bilateral cooperation and people-to-people engagement.

Polishchuk also referred to his visit to Dwarka, saying the delegation prayed for peace in Ukraine. “We pray for the peace in Ukraine because it’s very important for us to live in a peaceful country,” he told ANI.