During his first and historic visit to Ukraine, a sombre Prime Minister Narendra Modi met an equally stoic Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv. Both the leaders were seen hugging and shaking hands together. As the two leaders toured the war-torn country's Martyrologist Exposition, PM Modi’s hand remained firmly on Zelenskyy's shoulder -- a symbolic gesture of India's solidarity with Ukraine. During his visit, PM Modi honoured the memory of children at the National Museum of the History of Ukraine. Besides this, he also paid homage to the Gandhi statue at the Botanical Garden.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi arrived in Kyiv for bilateral talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, marking the first visit by an Indian prime minister to Ukraine since it became independent in 1991.
Notably, PM Modi is the first ever Indian Prime Minister to visit Ukraine since it got independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. PM Modi reached Kyiv at around 7:30 am (local time to Kyiv) and came to the hotel around 7:55 am (local time).
PM Modi was welcomed with the chants of ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ by the Indian diaspora after his arrival in Kyiv. Modi is visiting Ukraine at the invitation of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
PM Modi’s visit to Kyiv comes nearly six weeks after his high-profile trip to Moscow which triggered criticism from the US and some of its Western allies.
"I look forward to the opportunity to build upon earlier conversations with President Zelenskyy on strengthening bilateral cooperation and share perspectives on peaceful resolution of the ongoing Ukraine conflict," Modi had said before leaving Delhi.
"As a friend and partner, we hope for an early return of peace and stability in the region," he said.
The prime minister travelled to Kyiv from Poland in a 'Rail Force One' train that took around 10 hours. The return trip will also be of the same duration.
It should be noted that India has not yet condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and has been calling for resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.
Before leaving Warsaw, Modi said that his Poland visit has been "special". His visit to Poland was the first trip by an Indian Prime Minister to the country in the past 45 years.
