NEW DELHI : Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Ukraine in August, marking what would be his first visit to Kyiv since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022. However, no official confirmation has been made regarding the visit.

“When PM Modi visited Moscow earlier this month, he spoke about a peaceful resolution of the conflict and also expressed his grief over the deaths of children (following reports of a hospital attack in Kyiv). He reportedly also shared with President Vladimir Putin on the likelihood of his visiting Ukraine subsequently,” according to a source.

Notably, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had expressed his dismay over the warm hug that PM Modi gave to President Putin during his two-day visit to Moscow last month. “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 said after Modi met Putin.

India has always maintained that this is “no era for war” and that the resolution of conflict was through dialogue and diplomacy. Modi also told President Putin that solutions to conflict could not be found on the battlefield. However, it is common knowledge that India and Russia share strong historic ties and that equation shall remain.