Modi to visit Ukraine weeks after Kyiv condemns Indian PM for hugging Putin in Moscow
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Ukraine, officials announced on Monday, weeks after he made his first trip to Moscow since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
His upcoming visit to Ukraine—also his first since the start of the war—comes at a critical time as Kyiv’s forces advance into Russian territory in a surprise military offensive that has stunned even Kyiv’s closest allies.
Modi has repeatedly called for a ceasefire in Ukraine without directly condemning Russia’s aerial campaign or denouncing the ground invasion. India has also abstained from all United Nations resolutions on Ukraine.
India remains heavily reliant on the Kremlin for its military equipment and has increased purchases of discounted Russian crude oil, providing a significant financial lifeline to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s nation as it faces isolation from the West.
Modi is set to visit Ukraine on August 23 at the invitation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to an announcement by India’s Ministry of External Affairs on Monday.
“The upcoming visit of Prime Minister Modi to Ukraine will provide an opportunity to hold discussions on the entire spectrum of bilateral relations,” said Tanmaya Lal, the ministry’s secretary for the West, during a briefing.
The secretary reiterated that India has “maintained a very clear and consistent position that diplomacy and dialogue can resolve this conflict,” adding that “lasting peace” can only be achieved through a negotiated settlement.
Modi’s trip will also include a visit to Poland on August 21-22—the first by an Indian prime minister in 45 years, the ministry noted.
This photograph, taken on August 16, 2024, during a media tour organized by Ukraine, shows a destroyed vehicle next to a ruined building in the Ukrainian-controlled Russian town of Sudzha, Kursk region, amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. On August 16, 2024, Kyiv reported advancements into Russian territory, claiming that its goal was to force Russia to negotiate on “fair” terms, as Moscow’s forces announced new gains in eastern Ukraine. Two and a half years into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Kyiv’s forces launched a major counter-offensive into Russia’s Kursk region on August 6, 2024, causing over 120,000 people to flee.
Modi’s trip to Ukraine follows his visit to Moscow in July—a sign that the two nations remain close. Images and videos showed the two leaders hugging, chatting over tea, riding in an electric vehicle, and watching a horse show.
Zelensky condemned the meeting, which coincided with a brazen assault on several Ukrainian cities and a deadly strike on a children’s hospital.
The Ukrainian leader described the meeting as a “huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts to see the leader of the world’s largest democracy hug the world’s most bloody criminal in Moscow on such a day.”
Modi did not directly address the strikes during his visit but remarked that solutions to conflict are unlikely to come through war, but rather through peace and dialogue. These comments were seen as his most critical remarks to date regarding Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“Whether it’s conflict, war, or terror, anyone who believes in humanity is troubled when there are deaths, especially when innocent children die,” Modi said while seated alongside the Russian president.
“As a friend, I have always said that peace is necessary for the prosperity of future generations, but I also know that on the battlefield, solutions aren’t easy to come by between guns, bombs, and bullets. We must adopt a path to peace through dialogue,” he added.
