How PM Modi Tried To Bring Moscow, Kyiv To Table On a 7-Hr Historic Ukraine Trip

Kyiv: Two and a half years into the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, India took a significant step on Friday by having Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally offer New Delhi’s assistance at the highest level to help resolve the conflict during his one day visit to Kyiv. PM Modi met his Ukrainian counterpart President Volodymyr Zelensky and the two leaders held bilateral talks in Kyiv in the shadow of the ongoing conflict. “We say it very loudly and clearly that we support the respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Modi said through a translator during his meeting with Zelenskyy. “It's our highest priority.”

'We are not neutral…': PM Modi

In his bilateral talks with Zelensky, PM Modi said India is ever ready to play an ‘active role’ in every effort to restore peace in Ukraine and he would even like to contribute personally to end the conflict.  

"We are not neutral. From the very beginning, we have taken sides. And we have chosen the side of peace. We have come from the land of Buddha where there is no place for war," PM Modi said in his opening remarks during the talks. "We have come from the land of Mahatma Gandhi who had given a message of peace to the entire world," he added further.

Earlier, PM Modi met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy here with a warm hug that came barely six weeks after Modi had similarly hugged the leader of Ukraine’s arch-enemy, President Putin.

When Modi met with Putin in July, the Western media was full of news with headlines such as ‘Modi’s Embrace of Putin Irks Biden Team Pushing Support for Kyiv’. On Friday, during a media briefing after the Modi-Zelenskyy talks, Minister For External Affairs, Jaishankar was asked about the ‘embrace’ in a question meant to seek comments on apparent linkages with Modi’s meetings with Putin earlier and Zelenskyy now.

“In our part of the world, when people meet people, they are given to embracing each other, it may not be part of your culture but I can assure you it is part of ours. In fact, today, I think, I saw, Prime Minister (Modi) also embrace President Zelenskyy,” Jaishankar replied to a specific question by a Western reporter which mentioned as many words about Modi’s embrace of Putin a few weeks ago.

“And I have seen him do it with a number of other leaders in a number of other places. So, I think, we have a slight ... cultural gap here in terms of what these courtesies mean,” Jaishankar added in a befitting reply to the Western media narrative.

On Friday, India maintained that Ukraine and Russia need to engage with each other to find a solution to the ongoing conflict between them as Modi held wide-ranging talks with Zelenskyy under the shadow of the raging war.

India Hopes for an Early Return of Peace

Ahead of his arrival, the PM in a post said that India hopes for an early return of peace and stability in the Ukraine. "I look forward to the opportunity to build upon earlier conversations with President Zelenskyy on strengthening bilateral cooperation and share perspectives on peaceful resolution of the ongoing Ukraine conflict," it said.  

“India (is a) big influential country, not only in the world but also through the circle of very skeptical countries. If we will change India’s attitude to this war and to Russia, we will stop the war, because Putin will want to stop it,” Zeleskyy said in reply to a question while interacting with the visiting Indian media.

Zelenskyy Looking Forward to Visit India

 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday said he looks forward to visiting India as it can be a "key" in the global diplomatic efforts to end the war between his country and Russia.

“Modi’s visit was historic,” and added: “I very much need your country on our side, not balancing between the US and Russia.” Modi's nearly nine-hour visit to Ukraine, the first by an Indian prime minister since Ukraine's independence in 1991, came six weeks after he held summit talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in July in Moscow.

Modi’s trip marks the most prominent wartime visit by the Indian Prime Minister. News agency AP wrote that India's support is seen as a factor that could bolster efforts toward peace negotiations.

Zelenskyy and Modi discussed at length Ukraine’s peace formula, which prioritizes territorial integrity and the withdrawal of Russian troops, according to the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Brief Overview of Poland, Ukraine Visit

PM Modi on Wednesday embarked on a historic and significant two-nation visit to Poland and Ukraine. The Prime Minister first landed in Poland, from August 21 and then he headed to Kyiv.

Meanwhile, PM Modi visited war-torn Ukraine for the first time since Moscow's invasion of Kyiv.  This visit also represents the first time an Indian Prime Minister will visit Ukraine since diplomatic relations were established 30 years ago. 

He was in Ukraine for a day where he met with Ukrainian President Vlodomir Zelenskyy amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War.