Apulia: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit, in Apulia, Italy, Friday, June 14, 2024. (Photo: PTI)
Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi is set to visit Ukraine, marking his first trip to the war-torn nation since the conflict with Russia began, Reuters reported on Monday. The announcement was made by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday, just about a month after PM Modi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
As part of his trip, PM Modi will also make a one-day state visit to Poland on August 21, en route to Ukraine. This visit is intended to strengthen ties with the European Union country.
This will be the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Poland since Morarji Desai in 1979. Prior to that, both Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi had visited the country.
PM Modi will also pay his respects at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the memorial for the Battle of Monte Cassino, with Indian and Polish soldiers having played a significant role in the 1944 battles of Tobruk and Monte Cassino during World War II.
Poland, once a close ally of the Soviet Union as part of the Warsaw Pact, saw its relations with India cool after the fall of Communism, as Warsaw shifted its focus towards closer ties with the United States (US). While bilateral relations have been maintained, they have not reached the levels seen prior to 1979.
Noting that their “dormant ties” were a result of both countries having “different priorities”, an unnamed government source had told ThePrint that New Delhi hoped that PM Modi’s visit would revitalise India-Poland relations and “elevate bilateral ties to a new level”.
A key supporter of Ukraine, Poland is currently undergoing substantial military modernisation. This year, Poland is expected to allocate 4.12 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP) to defence, twice the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) guideline of 2 per cent.
India reportedly sees this as an opportunity to learn from Poland’s defence strategies and manufacturing policies.
While Western countries have imposed sanctions on Moscow following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, countries like India and China have continued to maintain trade relations with Russia.
India has not directly blamed Russia for the conflict, which Moscow refers to as a special military operation. Instead, New Delhi has called for the two neighbours to resolve their issues through dialogue and diplomacy.
The US has expressed concerns over India’s relationship with Russia, particularly as Washington seeks to strengthen ties with New Delhi to counterbalance China’s growing influence. Despite this, India aims to deepen its relationship with the West while maintaining its long-standing ties with Russia.
First Published: Aug 19 2024 | 1:43 PM IST
