Prime Minister Narendra Modi exchanged greetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on his arrival at Mariinsky Palace, in Kyiv on Friday (August 23, 2024).
| Photo Credit: ANI

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday (August 23, 2024) that India supported his country’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity, underscoring that New Delhi’s support was “critical” because everyone in the world must equally respect the UN Charter.

“Today, history was made. The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, made his first visit to Ukraine since our country’s independence, on the eve of our Independence Day,” Mr. Zelenskyy posted on X (formerly Twitter) after holding talks with PM Narendra Modi.

Mr. Modi arrived in Kyiv this morning on a special train on the first-ever visit to Ukraine by an Indian Prime Minister after it became independent in 1991.

Mr. Zelenskyy noted that four documents between Ukraine and India, covering the medical field, agricultural cooperation, humanitarian relations, and culture, were signed.

Also Read: PM Modi in Ukraine highlights: India hands over BHISHM cubes to Ukraine

Following the visit, “we also agreed on a joint statement focusing on the development of a strategic partnership, bilateral trade, and continued military-technical cooperation.”

“India supports Ukraine’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity. And this is critical because everyone in the world must equally respect the UN Charter,” Mr. Zelenskyy emphasised.

In his talks with Mr. Zelenskyy that took place under the shadow of the raging war, Mr. Modi said India is ever ready to play an “active role” in every effort to restore peace in Ukraine and he would even like to contribute personally in ending the conflict.

“We [India] are not neutral. From the very beginning, we have taken sides. And we have chosen the side of peace. We have come from the land of Buddha where there is no place for war,” Mr. Modi said in his opening remarks during the talks.

“We have come from the land of Mahatma Gandhi who had given a message of peace to the entire world,” he said.

The Prime Minister also asserted India’s strong commitment towards respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states.

Also Read: Four pacts inked as PM Modi ends ‘landmark’ Ukraine visit

“I want to assure you and the entire global community that India is committed to respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity (of states) and it is of utmost importance to us,” he said.

Mr. Modi also apprised Mr. Zelenskyy of his conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Samarkand in September 2022 as well as in Moscow last month.

“Some time back, when I met President Putin in Samarkand, I had told him that this was not the era of war. Last month when I went to Russia, I said in clear words that a solution to any problem is never found on the battlefield,” Mr. Modi said.

“The solution comes through talks, dialogue and diplomacy and we should move ahead in that direction without wasting time. Both sides should sit together and find ways to come out of this crisis,” Mr. Modi said.

The Prime Minister’s visit to Kyiv is seen in many quarters as a diplomatic balancing act as his trip to Russia triggered anguish among some Western countries.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said Mr. Modi reiterated the need for “practical engagement” between all stakeholders to develop an innovative solution that will help build broad acceptability and contribute towards peace and stability.

The Prime Minister conveyed to Mr. Zelenskyy India’s willingness to contribute in “all possible ways” to facilitate an early return of peace to Ukraine, he told journalists.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage at the Martyrologist exposition on children in Kyiv along with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and said “Conflict is particularly devastating for young children”. The Prime Minister arrived in Kyiv earlier today after a nearly seven-hour trip from Poland to hold talks with the Ukraine President. Russia and Ukraine have been involved in a long-drawn conflict for the last 2.5 years.

Martyrologist exposition has been built in memory of children who lost their lives in the ongoing conflict which has witnessed intense battles in several cities of Ukraine. 

“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,” the Prime Minister said in a post on X, where he paid homage to the children who have died in the conflict.

President @ZelenskyyUa and I paid homage at the Martyrologist Exposition in Kyiv.

Conflict is particularly devastating for young children. 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. pic.twitter.com/VQH1tun5ok

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 23, 2024

The two leaders are scheduled to hold both one-on-one and delegation-level talks with a focus on ways to find a negotiated settlement to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Ukraine President paid their respects by keeping a toy in memory of the children who died. President Zelensky shared a video on X where he wrote “Children in every country deserve to live in safety. We must take this possible.”

Today in Kyiv, Prime Minister @NarendraModi and I honored the memory of the children whose lives were taken by Russian aggression.

Children in every country deserve to live in safety. We must make this possible. pic.twitter.com/gKdjqcL5iz

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 23, 2024

India has advocated dialogue and diplomacy since the beginning of the conflict which began on February 24, 2022. On several occasions, the Prime Minister has said that this is “not the era of war”. In his joint statement with the Polish Prime Minister, he underscored the relevance of dialogue and diplomacy to resolve disputes between nations.

PM Modi last met Mr Zelensky in June on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Italy’s Apulia. In the meeting, he conveyed to the Ukrainian President that India would continue to do everything within its means to support a peaceful solution to the Ukraine conflict and that the way to peace is through “dialogue and diplomacy”.

He also told Mr Zelensky that India believes in a “human-centric” approach to finding a solution to the conflict in Ukraine. In that meeting, the Ukrainian president invited the prime minister to Kyiv. His Ukraine visit comes nearly six weeks after his high-profile trip to Russia during which he held extensive talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin largely with a focus on ending the conflict.