PM Modi Reaches Kyiv: Is Peace His Top Agenda In War-Torn Ukraine?

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Kyiv from Poland on Friday to begin his one-day visit to Ukraine. This is the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Ukraine since its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

During this visit, it seems India’s focus will be on peace, rather than picking up side. This was evident by PM Modi’s post on X on August 21, where he wrote: “I will be visiting Ukraine at the invitation of President @ZelenskyyUaThis visit will be an opportunity to build on the earlier discussions with him and deepening the India-Ukraine friendship. We will also share perspectives on the peaceful resolution of the ongoing Ukraine conflict. As a friend and partner, we hope for an early return of peace and stability in the region.”

Moreover, he is now a select group of global leaders who have been hosted by both Russia and Ukraine, the rivals who are at war. Modi’s visit to Ukraine comes barely six weeks after he was in Russia. His focus on ‘peaceful resolution’ was also reflected in his reiteration in Poland on Wednesday that “this is the not the era of war.”

However, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, had severely criticised Modi’s Moscow visit last month. He had expressed his dismay at Modi after he hugged “the world’s most bloody criminal in Moscow’. But, equations seem to have changed and Zelenskyy is now welcoming Modi in Kyiv. According to sources, the Indian PM is expected to reiterate the same message to Zelenskyy as he did to Putin — that “no solution can be found in the battlefield”.

Why twin trips to Russia, Ukraine significant?

Trips to Russia and Ukraine gain significance as the PM Modi is also scheduled to visit to USA in September for the UN General Assembly. His USA visit is also significant on the aspect of messaging and diplomatic posturing.

Modi-Zelenskyy relation

Modi is visiting Ukraine after over three decades. But Modi and Zelenskyy have met thrice in the last three years. In June, this year they met in Apulia at the sidelines of the G7 Summit. Last year in Hiroshima, they met on the margins of the G7 Summit, and in Glasgow on the sidelines of COP in 2021. According to reports, they have also spoken to each other on phone multiple times since 2020. Earlier in March, the Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba visited India.

Modi’s stop in Ukraine amid high security

Modi’s visit to Ukraine is expected to last for about seven hours. It also involves a 10-hour train journey in tight security conditions, reported the Hindustan Times. There has been no official divulging of the travel details from the Indian side though due to security protocols associated with travelling to an active war zone.

Modi in Poland

Modi had visited Poland on Wednesday. He became the first Indian premier to travel to the country in nearly half a century since Morarji Desai’s visit in 1979. He met Prime Minister Donald Tusk and President Andrzej Duda there to bolster the bilateral partnership. He also interacted with the Indian diaspora in Poland. “Poland is a key economic partner in Central Europe. Our mutual commitment to democracy and pluralism further reinforces our relationship,” he had said.