Despite Russia’s close ties with Putin, the Indian leader pledged support for Ukraine and said he came with a message of peace.
On the first visit to the country by an Indian prime minister since independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, India’s Narendra Modi was received by President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.
Zelenskyy embraced Modi before opening talks on Friday at the Mariinsky Presidential Palace, saying the Indian leader’s visit to Ukraine was “very friendly” and “historic”.
The Indian prime minister is expected to discuss economic ties and cooperation in defense, science, and technology, while also discussing the controversial topic of a settlement to end the war with Russia.
The meeting began when the two leaders visited a memorial commemorating the hundreds of Ukrainian children killed during more than two years of war.
The Ukrainian president wrote on X that he and Modi had “honored the memory of the children whose lives were taken by Russian aggression.”
Modi, who told Zelensky that the killing of children in conflict is not acceptable, said he had come to Ukraine with a message of peace.
“We have come away from war with great conviction. That doesn’t mean we were indifferent,” he told reporters sitting next to Zielinski.
“We have not been neutral since day one, we have taken sides, and we stand firmly for peace,” he said.
Modi also promised that his country would provide humanitarian aid for Ukraine’s conflict with Russia. He said, India will always stand by you and come forward to support you.
He expressed his respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, reiterating India’s position, set out before his visit, that disputes can only be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.