New Delhi: Ukraine's Ambassador to India Oleksandr Polishchuk said on Monday that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy may visit India at the end of this year at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Indian PM extended the invitation during a historic one-day trip to Kyiv, where he was the first Indian leader to visit the country after the establishment of diplomatic relations.
"Prime Minister Modi kindly invited my president to visit India, and I'm hopeful it will happen. Maybe by the end of this year, we will be happy to see President Zelenskyy here, as it would mark another step forward in our bilateral relationship. It would also provide a great opportunity for the two leaders to spend more time discussing the peace-building process around the world," Polishchuk told news agency ANI.
However, the dates of Zelenskyy's visit would be decided according to mutual convenience, the Ukrainian envoy added. He said Zelenskyy was "very keen to visit India" as he never had been there and would find more time for discussions as PM Modi's visit to Kyiv was relatively short due to security reasons, amid the Russia-Ukraine war.
PM Modi's visit to Poland
Prime Minister Modi was on a day-long visit to Ukraine on August 23 which followed a trip to Poland. He became the first Indian PM to visit Ukraine since its independence. He met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv and offered to provide assistance in bringing peace to the region. He also promised that India would always stand with Ukraine for humanitarian assistance.
PM Modi noted that India did stay away from the war between Russia and Ukraine, but stressed that it was "never neutral" and was always "in favour of peace". India and Ukraine also signed four agreements on agriculture, food industry, medicine, culture and humanitarian assistance. PM Modi reiterated India's willingness to contribute in all possible ways to facilitate an early return of peace.
A joint statement issued after PM Modi's visit to Ukraine said that he and President Zelenskyy reiterated their readiness for further cooperation in upholding principles of international law, including the UN Charter, such as respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty of states. They agreed on the desirability of closer bilateral dialogue in this regard.
Zelenskyy had expressed his gratitude for PM Modi's visit to Ukraine. "I am happy that PM Modi came to visit us and I believe this is very important...This is the first visit of the Prime Minister of India to Ukraine. We are ready on our part to take the respective steps. We've heard messages from the Indian side that they would be happy to welcome our team to India," he said.
Italy PM on India's role in Ukraine conflict
On Saturday (September 7), Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said India can play a vital role in finding a solution for the Russia-Ukraine conflict as she held talks with Zelenskyy. Reaffirming Italy’s unwavering support to Ukraine, Meloni said, “Italy would never backtrack on its support for Ukraine. The decision was not just morally right but also in the national interest given it was aimed at safeguarding rules designed to protect a country's national integrity...China and India have a role to play in resolving the conflict.”
These remarks came after Russian President Vladimir Putin recently said he was in touch with India, Brazil, and China on the Ukraine conflict. "First of all, it is Chinese People's Republic, Brazil, and India -- I am in contact with my partners and I have no doubt that the leaders of these countries -- and we have relations of trust and confidence with one another -- will be really interested and provide a helping hand," he said.
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