External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar announced that PM Narendra Modi is likely to visit Kyiv around August 24, which is the Ukrainian national day. This visit would be the first of Modi since the war broke out between Ukraine and Russia in the year 2022.
From the sources, it has been noted that while in the country, Modi is likely to have a meeting with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. This meeting has emerged in the wake of new attempts being exerted at the international level to look for a solution to the problem in the region, as has been reported by a news agency quoting diplomatic circles. Some of the issues that need to be solved in the framework of logistical preparations for the visit are connected with the question of security and coordination.
For now, as per the latest information, neither the Indian nor the Ukrainian governments have issued any reports on this visit. However, looking at the anticipation of the visit, it is important to understand how diplomatic relations between India and Ukraine are going.
Prior to it, Modi and Zelensky held a fruitful conversation on June 14 in the framework of the G7 Summit in Apulia, Italy. The Indian external affairs ministry described the meeting as productive, in which both leaders outlined ways to deepen cooperation and elaborated on the conflict in Ukraine. Modi stressed his country’s unswerving continuation of favourable approach and adherence to the tendencies promoting conflict resolution by diplomatic means. Another topic discussed at the news was the Summit on Peace that Switzerland was to hold in the near future. Before this, Modi and Zelensky had a brief interaction at the G7 Summit in Japan.
In this regard, the PM is expected to visit Ukraine after his informal meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia on July 8. The visit entailed a dinner at Putin’s Novo-Ogaryovo residence, a privilege few leaders get the chance to experience. Modi thanked Putin for the opportunity to diplomatically engage with Russia through a tweet, erasing the narrative X (formerly Twitter).
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