Modi Ukraine visit: PM reaches Kyiv, to meet Prez Zelenskyy shortly

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reached Ukraine's capital Kyiv from Poland. He will be soon meeting with Ukraine President Zelenskyy.

This is the first visit by an Indian prime minister to Ukraine since its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The prime minister travelled in a special train for 10 hours from Poland to Ukraine’s capital. Modi is expected to spend over seven hours in the war-torn country.

On Thursday, Modi advocated for peace in Poland. “India does not believe in war and advocates for peace in this region. India’s concept is clear: this is not an era of war, and it is the time to unite to tackle the biggest challenges of humanity. Thus, India believes in dialogue and diplomacy to resolve conflict," Modi had said.

The prime minister’s visit to Kyiv comes nearly six weeks after his high-profile trip to the Russian capital Moscow. The visit had triggered criticism from the US and some of its Western allies.

Earlier, before departing for the visit, Modi had said, “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. As a friend and partner, we hope for an early return of peace and stability in the region."

PM Modi had earlier met with Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Italy's Apulia in June.