Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made a historic visit to Ukraine, offering to play a personal role in facilitating peace talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky. This visit follows recent criticism from Zelensky, who had expressed disappointment at Modi’s warm reception of Russian President Vladimir Putin during a visit to Moscow on a day marked by severe Russian attacks, including one on Kyiv’s largest children’s hospital.
In Kyiv, Modi expressed to Putin the belief that conflicts cannot be resolved through warfare and that dialogue between both sides is necessary to overcome the crisis. Modi travelled to Ukraine by train from Poland, becoming the first international leader to visit since Ukrainian forces advanced into Russia’s Kursk region in early August, reclaiming over 1,250 square kilometres of territory.
The visit was marked by a tense atmosphere. Zelensky had previously criticized Modi for his embrace of Putin, which occurred on a day when over 40 people were killed in Russian strikes. As a gesture of solidarity, Modi and Zelensky visited Ukraine’s history museum, where Modi expressed deep sorrow for the Ukrainian children who have died since the invasion began in February 2022. Modi and Zelensky placed soft toys at a makeshift shrine in memory of these children, and Modi later conveyed his grief and sympathy to their families through a social media post showing him with Zelensky.
During their meeting, Modi offered to facilitate peace talks, emphasizing that only dialogue and diplomacy could end the conflict. He highlighted India’s stance as one of peace, referencing Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy during a visit to Gandhi’s statue in Kyiv. Despite this, India has not condemned Russia’s invasion and continues to support Moscow’s economy, becoming the largest importer of Russian oil last month.
Modi and Zelensky also discussed Ukraine’s military actions in Russian territory, although details of this conversation were not disclosed. India participated in a Ukraine-led peace summit in Switzerland in June, which excluded Russia, and Zelensky urged Modi to endorse a joint communique affirming Ukraine’s territorial integrity. Both leaders hailed the visit as a historic moment and released a joint statement to strengthen defence and trade relations between their countries.