New Delhi (dpa) – A few weeks after a visit to Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to travel to Ukraine – for the first time since the start of Russia's war of aggression. The 73-year-old will travel to Ukraine on Friday after a two-day visit to Poland, the Foreign Ministry in New Delhi said. The presidential office in Kyiv also confirmed the visit. In particular, talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky on bilateral and multilateral cooperation are also planned, it said. The signing of several contracts is expected. The presidential office did not provide any details.
India is neutral on Russia's war of aggression, does not support Western sanctions against Moscow and has repeatedly advocated resolving the conflict through dialogue. It maintains good relations with both the West and Moscow and has increased imports of cheap oil from Russia since the start of the war. India also relies heavily on Russia for its military hardware, although the South Asian nation is trying to reduce this dependence.
Modi only visited Moscow in July – also for the first time since the start of Russia’s war of aggression. The visit came shortly after his re-election as head of government, which was interpreted by Russian media at the time as a sign of appreciation for ties with Russia. Photos of Modi and Putin hugging went viral. At the time, Zelensky condemned the visit.
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