After the recently concluded two-day visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India, New Delhi is preparing for a possible visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Zelenskyy could visit India as early as January 2026, reports The Indian Express.
Zelensky’s visit, almost a month after Putin’s, would be in line with New Delhi’s efforts to stay in touch with both sides of the Russia-Ukraine war. In July 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi traveled to Moscow to meet Putin. A month later, in August, he visited Ukraine and met with Zelensky.
Indian and Ukrainian officials have been in talks for several weeks, and New Delhi reached out to Zelenskyi’s office even before Putin arrived in India, the report said, citing people familiar with the development.
India’s calibrated approach to Russia and Ukraine
India’s stance on the Russia-Ukraine war has been balanced: it calls for peace, dialogue and respect for sovereignty while avoiding partisanship.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during Putin’s visit last week that India is “not neutral” in this war and stands for peace. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar reiterated that the violence must end, that diplomacy is the only way forward and that India remains willing to contribute to peace.
However, the timing of the proposed visit will depend on several factors, including the progress of former US President Donald Trump’s peace plan and the situation on the battlefield, the report said. Ukraine’s internal politics could also play a role, where President Zelensky’s government is under pressure due to a major corruption scandal.
In August last year, Prime Minister Modi visited Ukraine at the invitation of Zelensky, the first ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Ukraine since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1992.
A joint statement issued after Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Ukraine said the two leaders expressed mutual interest in the future elevation of the bilateral relationship from a comprehensive partnership to a strategic partnership.
What did the Ukrainian envoy say in August?
In August this year, Ukrainian envoy Oleksandr Polishchuk said Prime Minister Modi had invited Zelensky to visit India, adding that the two nations were “trying to agree on an exact date” for the same.
“The Prime Minister of India has invited Zelensky to come to India. Both sides are working on it. We expect that President Zelensky will definitely be in India,” Polishchuk said while speaking to reporters on the occasion of Ukraine’s National Flag Day on August 23, 2025.
In September of last year, Prime Minister Modi again met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in New York.
India is “not neutral” in this war and stands for peace.
Ukraine has so far sent presidents to India three times – in 1992, 2002 and 2012.
Key things
- India maintains a balanced diplomatic approach to both Russia and Ukraine.
- Zelensky’s potential visit underscores the importance of India’s role in international diplomacy.
- Domestic factors in Ukraine, including political pressures, may affect the timing of Zelensky’s visit.
