Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Ukraine on August 23, marking his first trip to the war-ravaged country, official and diplomatic sources confirmed. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had sharply criticized Modi's recent visit to Moscow, while India maintained its stance on “freedom of choice” and “strategic autonomy” in foreign relations.
“There is a possibility that [the visit] could be on August 23,” an official familiar with the planning said, while another indicated that the details are still being finalized.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) declined to comment on the proposed visit. Diplomatic sources stated that “nothing is confirmed at present.” Volodymyr Prytula, spokesperson for the Ukraine Embassy in India, said, “When we have official information to share, I will communicate immediately.”
Modi’s visit to Russia on July 8 and 9 coincided with a significant Russian missile attack on Ukrainian targets, including a children’s hospital in Kyiv. Senior U.S. officials, including National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and State Department official Donald Lu, criticized Modi’s visit, calling it a “disappointment” in terms of “symbolism and timing.”
Zelenskyy expressed strong disapproval, particularly condemning the embrace between Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin. As Modi and Putin met at Novo-Ogaryovo outside Moscow, Russian missiles struck Ukrainian cities, killing over 37 people. “It is a huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts to see the leader of the world’s largest democracy hug the world’s most bloody criminal in Moscow on such a day,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.
In response, the Indian government has taken steps to mitigate the fallout from Modi’s Moscow visit. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba have discussed “further developing [the] bilateral relationship.” National Security Advisor Ajit Doval also spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart Andriy Yermak.
Meanwhile, Doval held talks with Sullivan following U.S. Ambassador Eric Garcetti’s statement warning that the U.S. should “not be taken for granted” and that “in times of conflict, there’s no such thing as strategic autonomy.”
The MEA hosted Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Kuleba in March for his first visit to India, where discussions focused on the ongoing conflict and efforts for a peaceful resolution. Announcing his visit on X, Kuleba described India as an “important global power with a powerful international voice.” Previously, in August 2022, Kuleba had criticized India’s purchase of Russian oil but also stated that Ukraine was “friendly and open” to India.
If Modi travels to Kyiv, he will join a small group of leaders who have visited both Ukraine and Russia since the conflict began in 2022, including leaders from Guinea-Bissau, Hungary, Indonesia, South Africa, and Turkey.
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