Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his role “as a friend” to bring peace to Ukraine in a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday, during a brief visit that many in Ukraine hope will pave the way for an Indian role in peace mediation.
The leaders discussed at length Ukraine’s peace formula, which prioritizes territorial integrity and the withdrawal of Russian troops, according to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs.
“We say it very loudly and clearly that we support the respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Modi said through a translator during his meeting with Zelenskyy. “It’s our highest priority.”
A video clip of the meeting was published on the Ukrainian president’s Telegram.
Modi added that during his visit to Russia last month, he told Russian President Vladimir Putin “that problems cannot be resolved on the battlefield.”
“The only way of resolving problems is through dialogue and diplomacy,” Modi said, adding that “it must be done without losing any time.”
Zelenskyy called Modi’s visit “friendly” and “symbolic” because the Indian prime minister came the day before Ukraine’s Independence Day.
Officials in India and Ukraine say the visit’s focus was on boosting economic ties and cooperation in defense, science, and technology. But analysts say it could also be an attempt by Modi to strike a more neutral stance after what has been seen as a lean toward Russia.
The meeting started with both leaders visiting a memorial commemorating hundreds of Ukrainian children who have been killed over more than two years of war. Zelenskyy published a video on Telegram showing the two hugging each other after shaking hands.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with his arms around Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, visits the Martyrologist Exposition in Kyiv, Ukraine, Aug. 23, 2024. Photo by Prime Minister’s Office of India.
“Conflict is particularly devastating for young children,” Modi wrote on the social media platform X. “My heart goes out to the families of children who lost their lives, and I pray that they find the strength to endure their grief.”
They laid teddy bears at the memorial at the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in World War II before observing a moment of silence.
Ukrainian media reported that Modi met with representatives of the Indian diaspora after arriving. The crowd gathered around the Indian prime minister cheering “Modi, Modi, Modi.”
He also paid tribute at the Mahatma Gandhi Monument in Kyiv.
The chief of Ukraine’s Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak, called Modi’s visit “historic” and emphasized Ukraine’s expectation that India could play a role in ending the war between Russia and Ukraine with a “just peace,” referring to Ukraine’s peace formula.
“We respect India as a very big democracy in the world and a powerful country,” Yermak said in an interview with India Today. “But now it’s necessary to say who is the aggressor, who is the victim.”
Before arriving in Ukraine, Modi urged diplomatic efforts to end the war during a visit to Poland on Thursday, pledging India’s support and saying that no conflict can be solved on a battlefield.
Modi’s arrival came a month and a half after Zelenskyy criticized his visit to Moscow in July, when Modi met with Putin on the day Russian missiles struck across Ukraine, killing scores of people.
Zelenskyy described that meeting as a “huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts.” He also chided Modi for hugging Putin during their meeting.
India has avoided condemning Russia’s invasion and instead has urged Russia and Ukraine to resolve the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.
Modi’s visit is the first by an Indian prime minister to Ukraine since the two countries established diplomatic relations over 30 years ago.