On Monday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister (FM) Dmytro Kuleba announced that he will visit India this week. This will be the Kuleba’s first trip to the country since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war.
The Visit
Kuleba announced the trip in a video message on microblogging site X in which he congratulated India on the occasion of Holi, the Hindu festival of colours. “My visit will further strengthen our relations,” he remarked. He asserted that Ukraine and India are two “big democracies” and expressed confidence that they would become good partners and friends.
The Ukrainian FM drew an analogy between Mahatma Gandhi’s fight for independence and Ukraine’s struggle during the war. Kuleba said that Ukrainians are fighting for freedom and independence. He added that when Ukraine faced Russia’s full-scale invasion two years ago, very few people believed that it would survive, but it persisted.
Today, India celebrates Holi, the most beautiful and colorful spring holiday. I wish everyone a happy Holi! Standing here in Kyiv, in front of Mahatma Gandhi's monument, I am also pleased to announce that this week I will pay my first ever visit to India. pic.twitter.com/j38tNyGvUw
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) March 25, 2024
“Supporting Ukraine today means supporting freedom and independence, supporting the legacy of the great Mahatma,” Kuleba said, expressing his belief that Kyiv and New Delhi could lay a solid foundation for the future of their mutually beneficial relations.
The Visit
The Hindu had reported earlier regarding Kuleba’s expected visit. During the visit, Kuleba is scheduled to meet with several Indian officials, including his counterpart S. Jaishankar.
The two FMs will co-chair an intergovernmental commission meeting between India and Ukraine. Additionally, Kuleba is likely to ask New Delhi for its backing for the upcoming peace conference in Switzerland in a few months.
Jaishankar and Kuleba last spoke over the phone in January, discussing the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the ‘peace formula’ proposed by Ukraine. The formula calls on Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine and restore the post-1991 post-Soviet borders.
In the same month, Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval spoke to Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office, to discuss the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland.
Ahead of the planned visit, Indian PM Narendra Modi held a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and a separate call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
While this is Kuleba’s first visit to India, he had visited Pakistan last year amid reports that Western Nations were using the South Asian nation to supply arms to Ukraine.
India & Russia-Ukraine Conflict
While India has positioned itself as neutral in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, it has traditionally been a Russian ally. Despite calling for a diplomatic solution to the conflict, India has not given in to Western pressure to sanction Russia.
The Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, said that supporting Ukraine’s cause translates into supporting Gandhian ideals. The Minister announced in a recorded video message that he will be visiting India this week, @janusmyth reports.https://t.co/Ft2m05o00k
— The Hindu (@the_hindu) March 26, 2024
In fact, India has become one of the primary buyers of Russian oil amid disapproval from Western nations. However, the country has been decreasing its dependence on Russian arms in recent years amid efforts to indigenise its armoury and the latter’s strengthening of ties with China.
Following Putin’s victory in Russia’s largely one-sided presidential election, Modi congratulated him. Recently, Jaishankar has repeatedly asserted India’s close ties with Russia. Balancing its position, India has also provided tonnes of humanitarian aid to Ukraine.