Kyiv: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday began a historic trip to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, in a keenly watched visit that came just six weeks after he travelled to Moscow, and is aimed at exploring ways to find a negotiated settlement to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
It is the first-ever visit to Ukraine by an Indian prime minister after Ukraine became independent in 1991 and his trip comes amid Kyiv's fresh military offensive into Russian territory.
On his arrival following a nearly 10-hour train journey from Poland, Modi was accorded a warm welcome by members of the Indian community at the Hyatt Hotel.
Soon after, Modi visited the Martyrologist Exposition at the Ukraine National Museum where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, warmly shook hands with the prime minister and hugged him.
Ahead of his talks with Zelenskyy, Modi also paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at his statue in the Ukrainian capital.
"Reached Kyiv earlier this morning. The Indian community accorded a very warm welcome," Modi said on 'X'.
Modi will hold both one-on-one and delegation-level talks with Zelenskyy with a focus on bringing peace and stability to Ukraine and the larger region.
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 the Western countries.
Following talks with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Modi said on Thursday that the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia are a matter of "deep concern" and that "dialogue and diplomacy" is the way forward to restore peace.
"This is India's firm belief that no problem can be solved on the battlefield. In any crisis, the loss of lives of innocent people has become the biggest challenge for the whole of humanity," he said.
"We support dialogue and diplomacy for the early restoration of peace and stability. For this, India, along with its friendly countries, is ready to provide all possible support," he said in a media statement.
Modi held talks with Zelenskyy in June on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Italy's Apulia.
In the meeting, Modi 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".
Modi also told Zelenskyy that India believes in a "human-centric" approach to find a solution to the conflict in Ukraine.
In the meeting, the Ukrainian president invited the prime minister to visit Kyiv.
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