He is the first Indian head of government to visit Ukraine. Narendra Modi travelled to Kyiv on Friday, August 23, by overnight train from Poland, the traditional route taken by official delegations, as civilian aircraft have been grounded over Ukraine since the outbreak of the war two and a half years ago.
Greeted by Volodymyr Zelensky, they hugged each other at the entrance to the Mariinsky Palace, the Ukrainian presidential residence.
At the end of his discussion, Narendra Modi welcomed the visit. “historical” in Ukraine. “I came to this great country with the aim of deepening the friendship between India and Ukraine. I had fruitful talks with President Zelensky. India strongly believes that peace should always prevail.” he said in X.
In July, Narendra Modi visited Moscow
Meanwhile, Volodymyr Zelensky stressed that the two countries had reached an agreement “agreement on four documents” in “medical field, agricultural cooperation, humanitarian and cultural relations”.
But this visit is also important on a diplomatic and geopolitical level. “India supports Ukraine's national sovereignty and territorial integrityThe Ukrainian president rejoices. And this is important because everyone in the world must respect the UN Charter equally. »
These words resonate in a very particular context. As the war between Ukraine and Russia rages, India is trying to balance between Russia, with which it has developed strong ties, and the West, which is seeking a rapprochement to counter regional rival China.
The Indian prime minister has not explicitly condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine that began in February 2022 and India has consistently abstained from voting on UN resolutions that could antagonize Moscow.
In early July, he left for Moscow just after Russian attacks on several Ukrainian cities killed dozens and severely damaged a children's hospital in Kyiv. During the trip, Narendra Modi and Vladimir Putin hugged, all smiles, before the Russian president presented his guest with decorations.
Russia is a major supplier of arms and cheap oil to India, although Moscow's confrontation with Western countries and closer ties with China over the Ukraine conflict have taken a toll on ties with New Delhi.
As a member of BRICS along with Russia and China, as well as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), India is a supporter of a multipolar world and at the same time continues to develop security cooperation with Washington.
During his meeting with Vladimir Putin, Narendra Modi welcomed the exchange “beneficial” And “important decision to strengthen cooperation” bilateral in “trade, security, agriculture, technology”. President Zelensky, irritated by this visit, described it as follows: “a major blow to peace efforts”.
Several other major powers, starting with China, have since the beginning of the war tried to act as mediators to end the conflict that has upset the global geopolitical balance. To no avail, for now, as the demands of both sides seem irreconcilable.
Mediation is still difficult to do
Vladimir Putin said a ceasefire and talks were only possible if Ukraine gave up territory Russia claims to annex and renounced its desire to join NATO, a condition unacceptable to Kiev and its Western allies.
Ukraine's surprise launch of an offensive on August 6 on Russian soil, in the Kursk border region, has raised further uncertainty, as Russian forces continue to gain ground in the east of the region.
Kyiv explained that the operation was intended as a pressure tool for negotiations. “fair”. But the Kremlin said earlier this week that it was impossible to start talks because of the attack on Russian territory.
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