PM Modi Hugs President Zelensky in Kyiv Amid Russia-Ukraine War

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met in Kyiv on Friday.  During PM Modi’s historic visit to the war-torn nation, the two leaders exchanged a warm hug at the entrance of the Martyrologist Exposition at the Ukraine National Museum.

Their handshake and hug preceded a planned bilateral meeting at the Mariinsky presidential palace.

Zelensky posted a video on X and said, “Today in Kyiv, Prime Minister @NarendraModi and I honored the memory of the children whose lives were taken by Russian aggression. Children in every country deserve to live in safety. We must make this possible.”

Modi became the first Indian prime minister to visit Ukraine after its independence over 30 years ago.

PM Modi is expected to advocate for a diplomatic resolution to the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia. Before arriving in Kyiv, Prime Minister Modi during his visit to Poland called for intensified diplomatic efforts to end the war.

“No problem can be resolved on a battlefield,” Modi said ahead of his Ukraine visit. He said that India supports “dialogue and diplomacy for restoration of peace and stability as soon as possible”.

The prime minister’s visit to Kyiv is seen by experts as a diplomatic balancing act after trip to Russia. Zelensky had criticized him for hugging Russian President Vladimir Putin during a visit to Moscow in July.

Zelensky described that meeting as a “huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts.”