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This would be the first trip by any Indian Prime Minister to Ukraine since Kyiv gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
Modi will be in Kyiv for around seven hours on August 23.
The Prime Minister is travelling to Kyiv from Poland in a ‘Rail Force One’ train that will take around 10 hours. The return trip will also be of the same duration.
What’s expected?
This visit to Kyiv follows nearly six weeks after Modi’s significant trip to Moscow, where he engaged in detailed talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin about resolving the ongoing conflict.
In his talks with Putin in Moscow, Modi said a solution to the Ukraine conflict is not possible on the battlefield and peace talks do not succeed amidst bombs and bullets.
During the Kyiv talks, it is expected that the Indian side will reference its recent discussions with President Putin, as part of broader efforts to facilitate communication between the two nations, according to the sources.
Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the Ukrainian president, told Reuters that Modi’s visit to Kyiv was important due to New Delhi’s considerable influence over Moscow.
“It’s extremely important for us to effectively build relations with such countries, to explain to them what the correct end to the war is – and that it is also in their interests,” Podolyak said.
However, Volodymyr Fesenko, a political expert from Kyiv, suggested that Modi’s visit was unlikely to bring about any significant peace proposals to end the war. A Reuters report quoted him saying that any negotiations would require the military situation to stabilise and the US presidential election to take place, given America’s strong support for Ukraine.
Fesenko noted that the visit was crucial for India to show it isn’t aligned with Russia, and Kyiv was keen on mending ties after Modi’s previous visit to Moscow.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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