“If we stayed away from the war with great conviction, it does not mean that we were indifferent,” said the Indian leader, who promised to provide aid to Ukraine.
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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose country traditionally has excellent relations with Moscow, was welcomed by Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, August 23, in kyiv, as part of a historic visit intended to advance diplomatic efforts towards a “peaceful settlement” of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Narendra Modi arrived in the Ukrainian capital by night train from Poland, the traditional route taken by official delegations, as civilian aircraft have been grounded in Ukraine since the start of the war.
“If we remained, with great conviction, on the sidelines of the war, this does not mean that we were indifferent”assured the Prime Minister, sitting alongside Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky. “We have not been neutral since day one, we have taken sides and we are resolutely in favour of peace”he stressed. As the conflict between Moscow and kyiv drags on and no diplomatic settlement appears on the horizon, the Indian Prime Minister has promised to provide aid to Ukraine. “Whatever help is required from a humanitarian point of view, India will always stand by you and go above and beyond to support you”he informed his host.
India is trying to maintain a delicate balance between Russia, with which it has strong ties, and Western nations, with which it seeks rapprochement to counter regional rival China. India’s prime minister has avoided explicitly condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022, and India has consistently abstained from voting on U.N. resolutions that could be hostile to Moscow.
