Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Ukraine on August 23 at the invitation of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Before visiting the war-torn nation, he will visit Poland on August 21-22.

”PM Narendra Modi will undertake an official visit to Ukraine later this week on Friday, August 23, at the invitation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This is a landmark and a historic visit since this will be the first time an Indian PM will be visiting Ukraine in more than 30 years since we established our diplomatic relations. This visit will build upon the recent high-level interactions between the leaders,” Mr Tanmaya Lal, Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs said at a media briefing Monday.

The PM’s visit to Ukraine is being seen as an attempt by India to balance its ties with the war-ravaged nation, weeks after Kyiv condemned him for hugging President Vladimir Putin during a visit to Moscow.

Mr Lal noted that the PM has held telephonic conversations with the Ukraine President on several occasions. The two leaders last met on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit in June in Italy last year.

He said India has supported diplomacy and dialogue to resolve the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. New Delhi is ready to provide all its support to bring the conflict to an end.

“India has maintained a very clear and consistent position that diplomacy and dialogue can resolve this conflict (between Russia and Ukraine) and which can lead to enduring peace, so dialogue is absolutely essential. Lasting peace can only be achieved through options that are acceptable to both parties and it can only be a negotiated settlement,” the diplomat said.

India has tried to do a delicate balancing act ever since the conflict began in Ukraine in view of its strategic ties with Russia. The Modi government has avoided explicit condemnations of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine while urging both sides to resolve their differences through dialogue.

On the PM’s August 21-22 visit to Poland, Mr Lal said its is a landmark visit as an Indian PM is visiting Poland after 45 years. This visit takes place as the two countries mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

Apart from meeting Polish leaders, the PM will interact with the Indian community there. The Indian community in Poland is estimated at around 25,000. This includes around 5,000 students.

The government and people of Poland had offered valuable assistance to India during ‘Operation Ganga’ for the evacuation of Indian students from Ukraine. More than 4,000 indian students were evacuated via Poland in 2022.