India’s deputy NSA in Kyiv ahead of PM Modi’s visit
Dy NSA Pavan Kapoor was on an announced visit to Kyiv, about a fortnight ahead of Modi’s planned visit to Ukraine for a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
New Delhi: Ukraine hopes that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be able to join efforts to restore a “just peace” following the Russian invasion, the Ukrainian president’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak told India’s deputy national security adviser Pavan Kapoor on Saturday.
Kapoor was on an announced visit to Kyiv, about a fortnight ahead of Modi’s planned visit to Ukraine for a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. There was no official word from the Indian side on the visit. Both India and Ukraine are yet to formally announce the visit, the first by a senior Indian leader since the launch of the Russian invasion in February 2022.
Yermak, who is the head of the office of the president, said on X that he met Kapoor and “emphasized the importance of restoring a just peace for [Ukraine] and [India’s] participation in this process.” He added, “Expressed hope that Prime Minister @narendramodi will contribute to these efforts.”
A statement from the president’s office said Yermak “described the situation on the frontline and the shelling of civilian infrastructure, in particular, the Russian attack on Kostyantynivka.”.
The statement reiterated the need for “restoring just peace for Ukraine and India’s participation in this process.” It quoted Yermak as expressing the hope that Modi “would be able to join in this effort.”.
India has so far refrained from publicly criticising Russia’s invasion, though it has said that it will support all diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving a lasting peace in Ukraine. India has also ramped up the purchase of discounted Russian commodities, especially fuel and fertilisers.
The Indian side has also called for the cessation of hostilities and a return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue to find a solution to the conflict.
Modi’s planned visit to Ukraine, especially after his trip to Moscow during July 8-9 for the annual India-Russia Summit with President Vladimir Putin, is being seen as part of New Delhi’s balancing act on the conflict. During his visit to Moscow, Modi reminded Russian President Vladimir Putin that a solution can’t be found on the battlefield and peace talks can’t succeed under the shadow of the gun.
Modi’s visit to Russia was criticised by Zelenskyy as his arrival in Moscow coincided with a Russian strike on Ukraine’s largest children’s hospital. There was also outrage in the West since Modi chose Russia for his first bilateral visit in his third term, even at a time when the US was hosting Zelenskyy and leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) for a summit aimed at shoring up support for Ukraine.