(Bloomberg) -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Kyiv on Friday in an attempt to balance ties with Washington and Moscow, but has ruled out a role mediating an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to people familiar with the matter.
The South Asian nation has, however, agreed to relay messages between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the people said, asking not to be named as discussions are private. Indian officials have called for dialog and diplomacy to end the war that began with Russia’s Feb. 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Modi’s visit to Ukraine comes weeks after he visited Russia, a longtime India ally, sparking frustration in Washington. President Joe Biden’s administration has made closer ties with India a cornerstone of its foreign policy. American officials expressed concern about the Russia visit in a series of meetings and phone calls with their Indian counterparts in July, Bloomberg News has reported.
“The meeting will provide an opportunity to review the entire gamut of relations including agriculture, economy, defense, pharmaceutical and people to people ties,” said Tanmaya Lal, a top official in India’s Ministry of External Affairs. “Defense is one of the main pillars of the multifaceted relationship between India and Ukraine.”
Modi’s reluctance to broker an end to the war is partly because of India’s dependence on Russia for cheap oil and weapons. New Delhi has refrained from criticizing Moscow over the invasion, now well into its third year, and has increased its purchase of Russian oil to record levels. The South Asian nation shares hostile borders with Pakistan and China.
Modi’s Kyiv visit will be restricted to a few hours because of security concerns. The conflict entered a new phase recently when Ukraine wrested Russian territory for the first time since the invasion.
‘Negotiated Settlement’
From Ukraine’s vantage point, it’s important for Zelenskiy to meet with Modi to discuss India’s role in restoring peace to the region, a person familiar with the matter said, asking not to be identified. India has been central to Zelenskiy’s ambition to win over key nations from the so-called Global South, an effort that has stumbled this year. India was among nations at a June summit meeting in Switzerland not to sign a final statement, a blow to Ukraine’s bid to broaden support in its war to fend off Russia’s invading forces.
“We have consistently maintained the way forward is a negotiated settlement,” said Lal, replying to a question whether India will mediate to end the war.
The meeting with Modi is unlikely to yield any major announcements, though several agreements including in agriculture and defense are in the works, people familiar with the agenda said. Before reaching Ukraine, Modi will also visit Poland, a first by an Indian leader in over four decades.
India is the biggest importer of equipment and weapon systems, a tag Modi wants to reverse by boosting homemade defense manufacturing.
Ukraine’s state-owned Zorya-Mashproekt is in talks with Indian private sector companies to jointly manufacture gas turbines used by warships, people familiar with the negotiations said. The two countries are also discussing manufacturing aircraft and aero-engines in India.
--With assistance from Daryna Krasnolutska.
(Updates with details in seventh paragraph.)
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