 "Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting, at Mariinskyi Palace in Kyiv, Ukraine in August 2024. File image/PTI")
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is likely to visit India, with discussions underway to finalise the “precise date,” Ukraine’s Ambassador to India Oleksandr Polishchuk said on Saturday.
Speaking to reporters, Polishchuk emphasised that preparations are in progress. “The Indian Prime Minister invited Zelenskyy to come to India. Both sides are working on this. We expect President Zelenskyy to be in India, definitely. It will be a great achievement in our bilateral relationship… We are trying to agree on a precise date,” he said.
The possible visit comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trip to Kyiv on August 23, 2024, where he met Zelenskyy and extended the invitation. The two leaders have also held talks on the sidelines of international summits.
The ambassador noted that Ukraine welcomes the growing dialogue with India since 2023 and highlighted Modi’s remarks that India is “not neutral” in the Russia-Ukraine war but stands for peace, diplomacy, and dialogue.
Zelenskyy recently met US President Donald Trump for peace talks, following Trump’s earlier meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. The envoy said Kyiv hopes India will play a more active role in efforts to end the conflict, given its longstanding ties with Moscow. He added that the issue may also see progress during the upcoming UN General Assembly session in September.