India's Modi to 'share perspectives' on ending Ukraine war during Kyiv trip

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he will "share perspectives" on the peaceful resolution of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia during his visit to Kyiv this week, more than a month after he traveled to Moscow.

Modi departed for Poland on Wednesday and will visit Kyiv on Friday, the first trip to Ukraine by an Indian prime minister since diplomatic relations were established more than three decades back.

The trip follows Modi's July 8-9 visit to Moscow, which drew criticism from the US and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as it coincided with a lethal Russian strike on a children's hospital in Kyiv.

Modi condemned the killing of innocent children in an implicit rebuke to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Many Indian analysts see the short visit to Kyiv as an attempt to control the damage from the Moscow trip and a strategic balancing act when New Delhi has grown closer to the West, particularly Washington.

India's diplomats reject that and say New Delhi's ties with Russia and Ukraine are independent. The trip builds on interactions between New Delhi and Kyiv across sectors.

"I look forward to the opportunity to ... share perspectives on peaceful resolution of the ongoing Ukraine conflict," Modi said in a statement on Wednesday before his departure. "As a friend and partner, we hope for an early return of peace and stability in the region."

Reuters