Media coverage of PM Narendra Modi's historic visit to Ukraine and meeting with President Zelensky
It is the first time an Indian prime minister has visited Ukraine since diplomatic ties were established in 1992.
In a landmark visit to Kyiv, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has offered to help bring peace to Ukraine in a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which many in the war-torn country hope will pave the way for an Indian role in resolving the conflict.
An Indian prime minister visited Ukraine for the first time in modern Ukrainian history during a volatile time in the war launched by Russia. Russia is making slow gains in eastern Ukraine as Kyiv presses its cross-border incursions.
Reuters reported that the optics closely resembled Narendra Modi's visit to Moscow last month, when he called for peace and embraced Russian President Vladimir Putin, which angered Ukraine, where a Russian missile strike hit a children's hospital the same day.
“It must not have been a coincidence that Mr Modi was taken to Ukraine's history museum on Friday to view an exhibition dedicated to all of the 570 Ukrainian children who have been killed since Russia began its full-scale invasion in February 2022,” the BBC reported.
In a post on the social media platform X, Modi wrote, "Conflict is particularly devastating for young children." He prayed for the strength to endure the grief of the families of children who have died in conflict.
In World War II, they laid teddy bears at the National Museum of the History of Ukraine before observing a moment of silence.
According to analysts cited by Associated Press, Modi's visit to Ukraine could also be an attempt to strike a more neutral stance after his perceived inclination towards Russia.
Also, Zelenskyy criticized Modi for hugging Putin during their meeting, but on Friday he hugged Modi too, apparently putting aside his criticism.
According to a Ukrainian analyst, Modi's first visit is likely to result in modest results, since this is just "the beginning of a complex dialogue between India, Ukraine, and Europe.".
Yurii Bohdanov told AP on his Telegram channel that establishing relations with India would be challenging and long.
In the "Global South", where "India remains China's main competitor for influence," he said, if India supported Ukraine's approach to a peace settlement, Kyiv would have a better chance of winning support from other countries.
Bohdanov added, "This will further increase pressure on Russia.".
BBC reported the trip would reaffirm India's strategic autonomy, citing Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center think-tank in Washington.
Rather than placating Western powers, or anyone else, India is going to Kyiv to reassert friendship and convey its concerns about the war, Kugelman said.
'Important visit'
According to Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser in Zelensky's office, the visit was significant since New Delhi has a "certain influence" over Moscow.
"We must build effective relations with these countries, and explain to them what the right end to the war is - and why it is also in their interests," he said.
As Western nations have imposed sanctions on Russia and cut trade relations over the invasion, India has developed its economic ties with it.
Over two-and-a-half years after Russia poured troops into Ukraine, Indian refiners have emerged as Moscow's top seaborne crude customers. Russian oil accounts for more than two-fifths of India's oil imports.