In a major development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Kyiv next month, marking his first trip to Ukraine since Russia's invasion in 2022, sources have confirmed. This visit follows a recent meeting between PM Modi and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Italy, where the two leaders shared a warm greeting.

On the day PM Modi secured a third term following the Lok Sabha elections, Zelensky congratulated him and extended an invitation to visit Ukraine. In a phone call with President Zelensky in March, PM Modi discussed strengthening the India-Ukraine partnership and emphasized dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the ongoing conflict. He reiterated India's commitment to supporting a peaceful solution.

PM Modi's visit is expected to occur in the third week of August, with sources suggesting August 23 as the likely date. Earlier this year, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky invited PM Modi to visit during a phone conversation. Recently, high-level exchanges between India and Ukraine have taken place, including telephonic talks between External Affairs Minister Jaishankar and Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, as well as between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Ukrainian counterpart Andriy Yermak.

During his meeting with Zelensky in June, PM Modi emphasized the importance of dialogue and diplomacy and assured that India would continue to support a peaceful resolution. This upcoming visit would follow the precedent set by other world leaders, who have traveled to Kyiv via Poland due to the closure of Ukrainian airspace. It is anticipated that PM Modi might also travel through Poland and engage with Polish leadership, including PM Donald Tusk, before heading to Ukraine. Since the war began, several Western leaders, including US President Joe Biden, Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz have visited Kyiv.