Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaffirmed India’s stance on resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict through “dialogue and diplomacy,” according to Union External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. The Prime Minister also emphasized India’s readiness to assist in any way possible. This comes during PM Modi’s historic visit to Ukraine, marking the first-ever visit by an Indian prime minister since Ukraine’s independence in 1991.
Jaishankar highlighted that PM Modi discussed his recent conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which took place in Moscow in July. “It is India’s belief that the two sides need to engage in dialogue to find a solution,” said the Foreign Minister during a media briefing.
PM Modi’s visit, seen as a potential step towards peace due to India’s longstanding ties with Russia, included a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Mariinsky Palace in Kyiv. The two leaders held a delegation-level discussion and embraced at the palace. The visit occurs at a critical juncture, with Ukraine’s forces advancing into Russia’s Kursk region and Moscow’s military pushing forward in eastern Ukraine.
Before arriving in Kyiv, PM Modi made a nearly 10-hour train journey from Poland, a close ally of Ukraine and a key transit point for foreign leaders visiting the war-torn country. In Warsaw, he reiterated his belief that “no problem can be resolved on a battlefield.”
In Kyiv, PM Modi and President Zelensky paid tribute to the children who have lost their lives in the ongoing conflict. The Prime Minister expressed deep sorrow over the devastating impact of the war on young lives, echoing his earlier sentiments in Moscow about the unbearable pain of seeing “innocent children murdered.”
According to the United Nations, over 10,000 civilians have died in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, though the actual number is likely much higher.
