India planning Zelenskyy visit in January next year says report
By Anjali Sharma
WASHINGTON – According to media reports on Monday Indian officials are working with their Ukrainian counterparts to finalize Zelensky’s visit to New Delhi in January next year.
New Delhi is planning to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a move seen by many as a diplomatic balancing act days after Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded his highly anticipated visit to India.
According to a report in media, Indian officials are working with their Ukrainian counterparts to finalize Zelensky’s visit next year. The Ukrainian leader, as per the report, could visit India in January next year.
The talks are underway for several weeks, long before Putin’s visit, sources was quoted in media.
But nothing has been finalized yet, and the date of the visit will depend on several factors, including the ongoing peace negotiations to end the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
The development came days after Putin’s two-day visit on December 4 and 5. Ever since the war between Russia and Ukraine broke out in 2022, India has been maintaining ties with both countries.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited Russia, and a month later, he had travelled to Ukraine.
Modi, during Putin’s visit, clarified that New Delhi stands for peace in Ukraine despite criticism from some Western countries over India’s perceived neutral stance.
“India is not neutral, India is on the side of peace,” Modi said at the start of his bilateral meeting with Putin in Delhi last week.
“Since the Ukraine crisis began, we have been in constant discussion. From time to time, you, too, as a true friend, have kept us informed about everything. I believe that trust is a great strength, and I have discussed this matter with you many times and also presented it before the world. The welfare of nations lies in the path of peace. Together, we will lead the world towards that path. I am fully confident that with the efforts being made in recent days, the world will once again return to the direction of peace,” Modi said.
“In recent days, whenever I have spoken with leaders of the global community and discussed this issue in detail, I have always said that India is not neutral. India has a clear position, and that position is for peace. We support every effort toward peace,” he added.
