Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Kyiv on Friday from Poland to begin his day-long historic visit to Ukraine. This is the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Ukraine since its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. During his visit, Modi is scheduled to meet the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, upon whose invite he is visiting the conflict-hit nation-state.
"Reached Kyiv earlier this morning. The Indian community accorded a very warm welcome," PM Modi said in a post on X.
Upon his arrival at Kyiv Central Station following a 10-hour train journey from Poland, Modi was received by Ukrainian officials. He then visited the Ukraine National Museum, where he paid tribute to the children who lost their lives due to the Russian invasion. Following this, Modi reached AV Fomin Botanical Garden, where he paid homage to the bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi.
The PM also interacted with the Indian community, including students during the visit.
Before Modi's visit, the Ministry of External Affairs said the trip was going to be a “landmark and historic”, as both leaders will pick up from where they left off when they met last in June 2024 on the sidelines of the G-7 Summit.
Modi's visit to the war-torn country falls on Ukraine's National Flag Day, celebrated annually on the eve of its Independence Day. This assumes significance because, for Ukrainians, their national flag – comprising blue and yellow stripes – is a symbol of unity and support for the army as it battles to uphold its territorial integrity and sovereignty.
In the nearly seven-hour trip, Modi will hold both one-on-one and delegation-level talks with Zelenskyy with a focus on ways to find a negotiated settlement to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The visit comes amid Kyiv's fresh military offensive into the Russian territory.
The visit is significant because Kyiv and some of its Western allies including the US were critical of Modi’s visit to the Russian capital in July. Zelensky was particularly critical, saying he was “disappointed to see the leader of the world's largest democracy hug the world's most bloody criminal in Moscow”.
Modi held talks with Zelenskyy in June on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Italy's Apulia. In the meeting, Modi conveyed to the Ukrainian President that India would continue to do everything within its means to support a peaceful solution to the Ukraine conflict and that the way to peace is through dialogue and diplomacy. Modi also told Zelenskyy that India believes in a human-centric approach to find a solution to the conflict in Ukraine.In the meeting, the Ukrainian president invited the prime minister to visit Kyiv.
New Delhi recognised Ukraine as a sovereign country in December 1991, and established diplomatic relations with Kiev in January 1992. The Embassy of India in Kiev was opened in May 1992. India also had a Consulate in Odessa, which functioned from 1962 till its closure in March 1999. Ukraine opened its mission in Delhi in February 1993 – its first in Asia. In 2005, former President APJ Abdul Kalam visited Ukraine.