Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Ukraine, the Indian foreign ministry said on Monday. It is his first trip to the war-torn country since the conflict with Russia, and comes nearly a month after he met President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
The Ministry of External Affairs said details of the visit would be shared later. Indian media have reported that Modi may visit Kyiv this month.
Western countries have imposed sanctions on Moscow after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but friendly countries such as India and China have continued to trade with it.
India has refrained from directly blaming Russia for what Moscow calls a special military operation while urging neighbouring countries to resolve the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.
The US has expressed concern over India’s ties with Russia, especially at a time when Washington is trying to strengthen ties with New Delhi as a potential counterweight to a rising China.
New Delhi wants to strengthen its ties with the West while maintaining relations with its old friend Russia.