Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a historic visit to Kyiv on Friday, aiming to facilitate a resolution to the ongoing conflict with Russia.
This visit marks the first time an Indian leader has traveled to Ukraine. Modi and Zelensky met at the Mariinsky Palace, where the Ukrainian president appeared deeply moved. Modi is positioning himself as a potential mediator between Moscow and Kyiv, although a diplomatic resolution to the two-and-a-half-year war seems increasingly elusive.
As Kyiv’s forces intensify their incursion into Russia’s Kursk region and Moscow advances in eastern Ukraine, Modi emphasized the need for dialogue. “No problem can be resolved on a battlefield,” he stated in Poland before his Kyiv visit, underscoring India’s support for peace through diplomacy.
Modi’s effectiveness as a mediator is uncertain. While he has strong relations with Russia, having met President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in July, his visit faced criticism for the timing, as it followed a Russian strike on a Kyiv children’s hospital. Zelensky expressed hopes that Modi’s visit could aid in peace efforts, noting that they honored the memory of children lost to Russian aggression.
Modi had previously conveyed to Putin that “war cannot solve problems” and expressed distress over the suffering of innocent children. His visit to Kyiv was intended to discuss peaceful conflict resolution, despite India’s traditionally warm ties with Russia and its avoidance of explicit condemnation of Russia’s invasion.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s unexpected incursion into Kursk aims to push Moscow toward “fair” negotiations, though serious talks remain elusive. Russia’s demand for Kyiv to cede territory before negotiations, along with Zelensky’s refusal to negotiate directly with Putin, complicates prospects for peace.
As Modi arrived in Kyiv, Russia’s attacks continued, with recent strikes resulting in casualties in Sumy and Kharkiv. The UN has verified over 10,000 civilian deaths in Ukraine since the invasion began in February 2022, though the actual number may be higher.
