Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Ukraine on Friday, marking a historic event as it will be the first visit by an Indian prime minister since diplomatic relations between the two nations were established over 30 years ago. This trip follows Modi's recent visit to Moscow, where he implicitly rebuked Russian President Vladimir Putin over the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.

India's foreign ministry has described the upcoming August 23 visit as "landmark and historic," highlighting that it aims to strengthen India's independent and substantive ties with both Ukraine and Russia. Indian analysts suggest that the visit is also intended to mitigate the fallout from Modi's Moscow trip, which coincided with a tragic strike on a children's hospital in Kyiv. This incident brought embarrassment to Modi and drew criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Tanmaya Lal, Secretary (West) in India's foreign ministry, emphasized that the visit is not a zero-sum game and that India maintains broad, independent relations with both nations. He highlighted that the visit is expected to catalyze ties in various sectors, including economic and business links, agriculture, infrastructure, health and education, pharmaceuticals, defense, and culture.

Lal also mentioned that the ongoing conflict in Ukraine would be a topic of discussion during the visit, reiterating New Delhi's willingness to support efforts toward a peaceful resolution. He stressed that lasting peace can only be achieved through options acceptable to both parties, with a negotiated settlement being the only viable path.

President Zelenskiy's office confirmed that the discussions with Modi would cover both bilateral and multilateral cooperation, with several documents expected to be signed.

During Modi's Moscow visit on July 8-9, India and Russia sought to bolster bilateral trade and cooperation in various areas, including nuclear energy and medicine. However, the visit coincided with the strike on the hospital in Kyiv, leading Modi to express his deep concern to Putin, emphasizing the pain and terror caused by the death of innocent children. Modi urged both Moscow and Kyiv to resolve their conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.

Modi's Moscow visit also overlapped with the July 9-10 NATO summit in Washington, where allies aimed to strengthen Ukraine's position against Russia. The United States has expressed concerns to India regarding its ties with Russia but also acknowledged that this relationship allows New Delhi to encourage Putin to end the war.

Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Indian diplomats have engaged in regular talks with their Ukrainian counterparts, with Modi and Zelenskiy meeting on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in Italy in June. They have also had several phone conversations. Ukraine has been keen to involve India in its economic rebuilding efforts, inviting Indian investment during a business summit in January.

India, traditionally close to Russia in economic and defense matters, has refrained from criticizing Moscow over the invasion and has increased its purchase of Russian oil, citing national interest. While the idea of India mediating to end the war in Ukraine has surfaced in diplomatic discussions, New Delhi has remained cautious, stating only its willingness to support a peaceful resolution to the conflict.