During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Ukraine, four agreements were signed between the two countries. The two countries will now work together in the fields of agriculture, food industry, regulation of medical products, highly effective community support projects and culture. During his meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented him with the Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita and Maitri (BHISHM) cubes.India has said that these cubes will help in immediate treatment of those injured during the war and save their lives. According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, each Bhishm cube will be equipped with basic medicines and medical equipment to deal with all types of injuries and medical conditions. It will have essential surgical tools for a basic operation room, in which 10 to 15 surgeries can be performed in a day. The cube has the capacity to handle 200 cases of emergencies like burns, fractures or bleeding. It will have its own power and oxygen generation capacity.
The Ukrainian media has given a lot of coverage to Prime Minister Modi’s visit. ‘Kiev Independent’ quoted Zelenskyy referring to agreements between India and Ukraine. “The cooperation between India and Ukraine should be strengthened,” said Zelensky. Modi visited the National Museum to view a multimedia exhibition of children killed in the war. The Prime Minister mourned the death of the children and toys were kept there as a mark of respect. Referring to this visit, the ‘Kiev Independent’ wrote that Prime Minister Modi had hugged Vladimir Putin during his recent visit to Russia. Zelensky criticised saying that the leader of the world’s largest democracy hugged Putin, and termed the act as a major setback for peace-making efforts. On the very day Modi arrived in Russia, 37 people were killed in a Russian attack in Ukraine. This included three children. Russia attacked Ukraine’s largest children’s hospital. ‘UKR Inform’ wrote that India has reiterated its stance on peaceful resolution of the military conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.
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Ukraine also said that the peace conference could serve as a foundation for further efforts to promote peace based on negotiation, diplomacy and international law. India was part of the June 2024 summit in Switzerland for peace in Ukraine. Ukraine is hosting another such peace conference. ‘UKR Inform’ also cited Modi’s statement, in which he looked into Putin’s eyes during his meeting with him and told the media that the solution to this problem is only through dialogue and diplomacy, so it is necessary to move in this direction without wasting time. ‘The New Voice of Ukraine’ has highlighted a statement by Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, in which he said that Ukraine will decide whether to invite Russia to the World Peace Summit at the end of 2024. Jaishankar had said that the peace conference was an initiative of Ukraine.
This is the first time that an Indian Prime Minister visited Ukraine since Ukraine’s independence in 1971. The Swiss Foreign Ministry announced on June 16 that the next peace conference for peace in Ukraine could be held before the US presidential election in November. India maintains good relations with both the West and Russia and has been advocating a dialogue solution to the Ukraine issue. This has fuelled speculation that Modi is willing to play the role of a mediator between Russia and Ukraine. According to the ‘Kyiv Post’, Modi wanted to prove that he is ready to talk to all the important parties in this matter during his visit to Ukraine. The ‘Kyiv Post’ stated that by visiting Ukraine, Modi showed that he is ready to talk to all the important parties.
Prime Minister Modi is not only in the role of a mediator, but is working in the interest of other countries. This includes strengthening India’s ties with Central and Eastern Europe. Actually, India needs the help of Western countries in the competition for power and influence with China. India is such a big and powerful country that her voice matters. This country is trying to rise up in the elite level of world politics. Although Modi faces many problems, this visit to Ukraine was part of India’s strategy to show the West its potential. It does not mean that Indians will become pro-Ukraine overnight, but it means that any country can talk to them.
