fredag 23. august 2024

India’s Modi arrives in Ukraine for talks with Zelensky weeks after Putin meeting

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Kyiv on Friday for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that will be keenly watched in Russia as its assault on its neighbor grinds on. Modi’s visit, the first by an Indian leader since Ukrainian independence, comes just weeks after he traveled to Moscow in a symbolic first overseas trip of his new term as leader, where he held talks with President Vladimir Putin that were criticized by Kyiv.

After talks concluded, India’s Minister of External Affairs, S. Jaishankar, stressed that India is committed to helping end the war. “We are very, very keen that this conflict should come to an end,” Jaishankar said at a press briefing. Despite repeatedly called for a ceasefire and peace in Ukraine, New Delhi has refrained from condemning Russia’s invasion as it seeks to maintain relations with Moscow – a major supplier of its arms and a longstanding partner it sees as key to balancing its strained relationship with China.