Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Ukraine, officials said Monday, weeks after he made his first trip to Moscow since Russia launched its full-scale invasion. His forthcoming visit to Ukraine - also his first since the start of the war – comes at a crucial moment, as Kyiv’s troops push further into Russian territory in a shock military offensive that stunned even Kyiv’s closest allies.
Modi has repeatedly called for a ceasefire in Ukraine, without condemning Russia’s aerial campaign or denouncing the ground invasion. India has also abstained from all resolutions on Ukraine at the United Nations.
India remains heavily reliant on the Kremlin for its military equipment and has ramped up purchases of discounted Russian crude oil, giving Russian President Vladimir Putin’s nation a major financial lifeline as it faces isolation from the West.
