Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky 'keen' to visit India later this year

The Ukrainian side has expressed keen interest with the Indian side on the visit of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyto India later this year. The discussions regarding this proposed visit are currently in their initial stages. If materialised, this visit would mark a significant milestone as it would be the first visit by a Ukrainian President to India since the conflict in Ukraine erupted last year.

The matter of President Zelensky's visit has been discussed at several levels with the Indian side including at the National Security Advisor (NSA) level mechanism. Under this mechanism, Andriy Yermak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, and India's National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval have engaged in deliberations.

Since the outbreak of the conflict last year, India has consistently advocated for dialogue and diplomacy as the primary means of resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict. New Delhi has underscored Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assertion that "this is not an era of war."

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It has also drawn attention to the collateral consequences of the Ukraine conflict, which have led to soaring prices of essential commodities such as food, fuel, and fertilisers, adversely impacting not only India but also the global community, especially the member states of the Global South. India's G20 Presidency has played a pivotal role in highlighting these economic challenges faced by developing nations on the G20's global platform.

It is worth noting that Ukraine was not formally invited to attend the proceedings of the G20 Summit, unlike Indonesia in the previous year. Nonetheless, there has been sustained engagement between the two nations.

Earlier this year, India's Secretary (West) of the Ministry of External Affairs, Sanjay Verma, paid a visit to Kyiv, while Ukraine's first deputy Foreign Minister, Emine Dzhaparova, made a diplomatic trip to Delhi. These interactions mark the first government-to-government visits between the two nations since the onset of the Ukraine conflict.

In a significant diplomatic engagement earlier this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskymet on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Hiroshima.

During their meeting, Prime Minister Modi highlighted the profound global impact of the Ukraine conflict and emphasised that, for him, it transcends political and economic considerations; it is fundamentally an "issue of humanity and human values". He commended Ukraine's co-operation in ensuring the safe evacuation of Indian students and warmly welcomed Ukraine's decision to conduct examinations in India for these students.

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