PM Modi in Ukraine: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has finally arrived in Kyiv, becoming the first Indian leader ever to visit the country since establishing diplomatic relations. His visit comes at a highly crucial time as India seeks to strike a balance in its position on the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which has left a deep impact on global geopolitics.
India was one of the first countries to recognise Ukraine after its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, and opened its embassy in Kyiv in May 1992. Ukraine also established its embassy in New Delhi in February 1993, which was the country's first embassy in Asia. Since then, India and Ukraine have enjoyed friendly relations, with Kyiv becoming a crucial source of military technology and equipment for New Delhi.
The Russia-Ukraine war has created a political dilemma for India - as it enjoys historical relations with Russia. It has maintained a studied diplomacy regarding the war by refusing to condemn Moscow for the attack and abstaining from UN resolutions, while providing humanitarian consignments to Ukraine and speaking against threats of nuclear war by Russian leaders. On the occasion of PM Modi's historic visit to Ukraine, let's take a look at a timeline of India-Ukraine relations.
A timeline of India-Ukraine relations
- January 17, 1992: A Protocol on the Establishment of the Diplomatic Relations between Ukraine and the Republic of India was signed.
- May 7, 1992: The Indian Embassy in Kyiv was established.
- February 1993: The Embassy of Ukraine in New Delhi was established.
- March 25-29, 1992: Former Ukrainian President Leonid Kravchuk made the first state visit to India.
- July 13-16, 1993: India's then-President Shankar Dayal Sharma embarked on a state visit to Ukraine
- October 2-5, 2002: Then-Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma visited India
- June 1-4, 2005: Former Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam made a trip to Ukraine.
- December 9-12, 2012: Then-Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych visited India, the last leader from Kyiv to do so. The Joint Statement on the establishment of the comprehensive partnership between Ukraine and India was adopted.
- November 2, 2021: PM Modi met current Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the COP26 Summit in Glasgow, where they took stock of the state of bilateral relations and exchanged views on developments in the region.
India-Ukraine engagements after Russia's 2022 invasion
- April 10-12, 2023: Emine Dzhaparova, Ukraine's first deputy Foreign Minister, embarked on her first official visit to India.
- May 20, 2023: PM Narendra Modi and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan.
- July 13, 2023: Sanjay Verma, MEA Secretary (West), visited Ukraine to participate in the 9th round of the India-Ukraine Foreign Office Consultations (FOC)
- February 20-24, 2024: Ukraine's deputy foreign minister Iryna Borovets paid a working visit to India and represented Kyiv at the Raisina Dialogue.
- March 28-29, 2024: Ukrainian Deputy Minister Dmytro Kuleba visited India for the first time and committed to strengthen relations in trade and investment, science and technology, defence and more.
- June 14, 2024: PM Modi met Zelenskyy again on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Italy, where the Indian leader advocated dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the conflict.
What will PM Modi do in Ukraine?
Modi would become the first Indian leader ever to visit Ukraine after diplomatic relations were established in 1992 to renew his position that only dialogue and diplomacy would resolve the conflict. His talks with Zelenskyy, with the ongoing conflict at the top of the agenda, will be closely watched by the US and Russia as PM Modi has hinted at a possible Indian role in an early resolution of the conflict. The visit also makes PM Modi one of the few leaders of the world who have visited both Russia and Ukraine over two years since the war broke out.
By visiting Poland and Ukraine, PM Modi is also hinting at expanding India's relations with Europe. PM Modi had earlier said in Poland that India's policy now is to maintain closer relations with all countries as part of its push to become "Vishwabandhu", disentangling New Delhi from its old relations with Russia and forging closer ties with European nations.
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