NEW DELHI: Speculation is rife over Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelling to Kyiv, Ukraine a month from now in August.
Though it has not been confirmed officially by either the government or the Ukrainian officials in Delhi, it has not been denied either. It is possible that an announcement will be made closer to the day of the PM’s departure.
This will be PM Modi’s first visit to Ukraine since the conflict with Russia began on February 24th, 2022.
“When PM Modi visited Moscow earlier this month, he spoke about a peaceful resolution of the conflict and also expressed his grief over the death of children (following reports of a hospital attack in Kyiv). He reportedly also shared with President Vladimir Putin the likelihood of his visiting Ukraine subsequently,” according to a source.
However, it is common knowledge that India and Russia share strong historical ties and that this visit to Kyiv will have no impact on the bilateral ties between India and Russia.
It may be recalled that Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy had expressed his dismay over the warm hug that PM Modi gave to President Putin.
“It’s a devastating blow to peace efforts,” said Zelenskyy after Modi had met Putin.
Meanwhile, Modi had reportedly told President Putin that this is 'not an era of war’ and the resolution of conflict should be done through dialogue and diplomacy. He added that the solutions to the conflict cannot be found on the battlefield.
However, Modi's visit to Russia amid the ongoing war has not sat well with many countries including the US, which also expressed "disappointment."
In this context, PM Modi's visit to Ukraine might serve as a good balancing act. According to sources, PM Modi will visit Kyiv sometime around August 24, when Ukraine celebrates its national day. PM Modi is also likely to visit Poland after Kyiv.
It may be recalled that PM Modi and Zelenskyy had met in Italy on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in June.
Since Kyiv is still a conflict zone a lot of preparations would have to be made ahead of the visit. When the conflict between Russia and Ukraine began India evacuated close to 22000 Indian students studying there.