Prime Minister Modi’s Historic Visit to Ukraine

Source-This post on Prime Minister Modi’s Historic Visit to Ukraine has been created based on the article “Reckoning in Kyiv India’s mediatory moves may remain limited” published in “Business Standard” on 27 August 2024.

UPSC Syllabus-GS Paper-2- Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

Context -The Indian Prime Minister’s recent visit to Ukraine was a major milestone in India’s foreign policy, being the first visit by an Indian head of government since diplomatic relations began in 1992.

He visited Kyiv as Ukraine was making significant gains into Russian territory, which may have violated Western aid terms. This suggests the peace process could have shifted from India’s initial understanding.

What are the highlights of the visit?

1) Breaking Tradition- Indian Prime Ministers used to avoid former Warsaw Pact countries to respect ties with Russia. Modi’s visit to Poland and Ukraine, traveling by train, now demonstrates India’s role as a credible mediator and its strategic independence.

2) Balancing Act– Six weeks after Modi’s visit to Moscow, his trip to Ukraine was seen as an effort to ease U.S. concerns.

A detailed article on India-Ukraine relations can be read here.

What has the global reaction been?

1) Limited Impact-The U.S. State Department described Modi’s visit as “potentially helpful,” signaling limited geopolitical impact.

2) Mixed Signals from Kyiv- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Modi’s visit a “historical moment” and praised the economic agreements made between India and Ukraine. He agreed in principle to visit India but stressed that New Delhi couldn’t remain neutral in the conflict and needed to support peace.

Conclusion- It remains unclear whether India can effectively mediate between Ukraine and Russia. Zelenskyy suggested that India host the Global Peace Summit, a proposal that New Delhi should explore.

Question for practice

What were the key aspects of the visit, and how has the international community responded?