Politics

White House Praises PM Modi’s Kyiv Visit and Meeting with Zelensky: ‘Could Be Helpful’

The White House was upbeat on Friday over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Ukraine—this being the first-ever time any Indian prime minister had stepped into the war-stricken country.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that they view PM Modi’s visit as something which potentially could help bring about an outcome that fundamentally aligns with what President Zelensky has talked about as a just peace.

“If it can get us to an end to the conflict that comports with President Zelensky’s vision for a just peace … well then, we think that would be helpful,” Kirby told reporters.

During the visit, PM Modi and President Zelensky paid tributes at a memorial for hundreds of Ukrainian children who have been victims in more than two years of ceaseless fighting. Zelensky posted on Telegram a video capturing the moment when the two leaders shared a warm hug after shaking hands.

Modi has used social media platform X to express his sadness over the toll of war on young lives. “Conflict is devastating for young children,” Modi wrote. “My heart goes out to the families of children who lost their lives, and I pray that they find the strength to endure their grief.”

The two leaders laid teddy bears at the memorial in the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in World War II and observed a moment of silence in honor of these pitilessly perished children.

During a private conversation, PM Modi reiterated the commitment of India to peace: “We were not neutral from day one. We have taken a side, and we are standing as firm as possible for peace.” He added that no problem should be solved on the battlefield.

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Modi’s visit comes as Ukrainian forces push deep into Russia’s Kursk region in one of their biggest offensives, while Russian forces keep pushing forward in eastern Ukraine.

After almost three hours of closed-door discussions, the two leaders inked cooperation agreements in agriculture, medicine, and culture. According to their joint statement, there should be continuous dialogue between India and Ukraine in order to “ensure a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace.”