PM Narendra Modi to visit Ukraine on August 23, says MEA

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Ukrainethe foreign ministry said on Monday, his first trip to the war-torn country since its conflict with Russia and about a month after he met President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

"PM Narendra Modi will undertake an official visit to Ukraine later this week on Friday, August 23, on the invitation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This is also a landmark and a historic visit since this will be the first time an Indian PM will be visiting Ukraine in more than 30 years since we established our diplomatic relations. This visit will build upon the recent high-level interactions between the leaders."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Ukraine on Friday and meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky, Kyiv announced Monday. "Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi will pay an official visit to Ukraine on August 23," the Ukrainian presidency said in a statement, adding that this would be his first trip and "a number of documents are also expected to be signed".

Secretary West, MEA, Tanmaya Lal also said, "PM Narendra Modi will be undertaking an official visit to Poland this week on 21 and 22nd August on the invitation of PM Donald Tusk. This is a landmark visit as the PM of Indian is visiting Poland after 45 years. This visit takes place as we also mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations."

The prime minister will travel to Kyiv from Poland in a train that will take around 10 hours. The return trip will also be of the same duration, people familiar with the matter said. A number of world leaders including US President Joe Biden also travelled to Kyiv by train from the Polish train station near the Ukrainian border.

Before travelling to Ukraine, Modi will pay a two-day visit to Poland on August 21 and 22. The prime minister's visit to Ukraine is taking place amid Kyiv's fresh military offensive into Russian territory. Modi's visit to Kyiv comes weeks after his high-profile trip to Moscow that triggered criticism from the US and some of its Western allies.

"India has substantive and independent ties with both Russia and Ukraine and these partnerships stand on their own," Tanmaya Lal, Secretary (West) in the MEA said at a media briefing. The visit will build on continuing engagement between India and Ukraine, he said. "I would like to say that this is not a zero-sum game. The prime minister had also travelled to Russia. Many ideas were discussed," Lal said.

Modi met Zelenskiy on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in Italy in June and discussed trade and expanding ties. The two leaders have also spoken several times by phone since the war started in February 2022.

Ukraine has pitched for New Delhi to help rebuild its war-ravaged economy, inviting investment from Indian companies at a January business summit in India.

India has traditionally had close economic and defence ties with Moscow and has refrained from criticising Russia over its invasion, instead increasing purchases of Russian oil to record levels saying it needs to protect its own national interest first.

Although the prospect of India mediating between Russia and Ukraine to help end the war has been raised in diplomatic circles from time to time, New Delhi has appeared cagey, merely saying that it is willing to offer any support to resolve the conflict peacefully.