Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday, in what was the first-ever visit to Kyiv by an Indian PM. As the two leaders met at the Martyrologist Exposition, they exchanged hugs and shook hands.
Both the leaders are expected to held one-on-one as well as delegation-level talks, with focus on a peaceful resolution of Ukraine's ongoing conflict with Russia.
WATCH | PM MODI MEETS PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY:
Ahead of his talks with Zelenskyy, Modi also paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at his statue in the Ukrainian capital.
PM Modi arrived in Kyiv from Poland on a "Rail Force One" train, undertaking a journey of about 10 hours, as part of his two-nation visit. "Reached Kyiv earlier this morning. The Indian community accorded a very warm welcome," PM Modi said in a post on X.
This is the first-ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Ukraine since it became Independent in 1991. Modi's Ukraine visit comes nearly six weeks after his high-profile trip to Moscow which triggered criticism from the US and its Western allies as well as from Zelenskyy himself.
INDIA & UKRAINE
Following talks between PM Modi and President Zelenskyy, India and Ukraine signed four agreements to provide for cooperation in agriculture, medicine, culture and humanitarian assistance.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that during this "landmark visit" by the Prime Minister, significant part of the discussions between the two nations was devoted to the bilateral relations.
Modi and Zelenskyy tasked inter-governmental commission to specifically focus on rebuilding trade and economic relations, Jaishankar added.
The two leaders also discussed the war in Ukraine, wherein PM Modi called for practical engagement between all stakeholders to develop innovative solutions that will contribute towards peace.
Jaishankar said that during the talks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated India's willingness to contribute in all possible ways to facilitate an early return of peace.
India, at various points of time, had taken public positions cautioning against danger of escalation.
PM Modi also voiced the wide-spread sentiment in Global South about the consequences of this conflict between Ukraine and Russia. He also told Zelenskyy about his recent discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Indian PM sought Zelenskyy's assessment of both the situation on ground and diplomatic scenario, MEA Jaishankar said. The two leaders talked about military situation and conceivable pathways to peace as well.
Jaishankar revealed that the Ukraine wants India's continued involvement in the Global Peace summit.
PM Modi and Zelenskyy held very detailed, open and in many constructive discussions, wherein they also spoke about what could be effective ways of taking these talks forward.
PM Modi also expressed gratitude towards Zelenskyy for his help in evacuating the Indian nationals and students from Ukraine during the time of crisis.
"The world knows very well that during the war we played two roles... The first role was the humanitarian approach... I assure you that whatever the need may be from a humanitarian point of view, India will always stand with you and will be two steps ahead."
Modi clarified that, "India was never neutral, we have always been on the side of peace."
"I want to assure you and the entire world that this is India's commitment and we believe that respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity is of utmost importance to us and we support it," PM Modi told Zelenskyy during their talks.
Asserting India's stance for peace, Modi said, "I want to assure you that India is ready to play an active role in every effort for peace. If I can personally contribute to this, I would like to do so. As a friend, I can assure you."
Before his arrival in Ukraine, PM 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."
The Indian Prime Minister will reportedly be in Kyiv for about seven hours.
Notably, India has not yet condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and has been calling for the resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.
Earlier in Poland as well, PM Modi had expressed "deep concern" over the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and West and Asia, saying that a "solution cannot be found in battlefield".
He once again asserted that India strongly supports dialogue and diplomacy for the early restoration and peace, normalcy and stability in the conflict-ridden nations.
He had said that the loss of innocent lives in any such crisis has become of the biggest challenge for the entire humanity.
"We support dialogue and diplomacy for the early restoration of peace and stability. For this, India, along with its friendly countries, is ready to provide all possible support," he added.
