After the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin, now preparations are going on for the visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to India. It is believed that if everything goes well, Zelensky can come to India early next year. Although this visit has not been confirmed yet, but if this visit happens then it will happen about a month after Putin’s visit. Through this, India’s balanced diplomatic policy regarding the Russia-Ukraine war will be further strengthened. At the same time, this will also be a lesson for US President Donald Trump, who is twisting Zelensky’s arm to end the war against Russia.
What did the Ukrainian ambassador say on Zelensky’s visit to India?
India’s Ambassador to Ukraine Oleksandr Polishchuk had said on the occasion of Ukraine’s National Flag Day in August 2025 that Prime Minister Modi has invited President Zelensky to visit India and both sides are trying to fix a suitable date for the visit. He had expressed confidence that Zelensky would definitely come to India.
Which factors will decide Zelensky’s visit to India?
However, the timing of Zelensky’s proposed visit will depend on many factors. These include the progress of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan, the situation on the battlefield and the internal politics of Ukraine. Currently, the Zelensky government is under pressure in Ukraine regarding a major corruption scandal, which may impact this tour as well. Recently, the resignation of Andriy Yermak, who was close to Zelensky and was the Chief of Staff, is also said to be related to this controversy. Now New Delhi is expanding further talks by contacting new officials of Ukraine administration.
India’s stance on the Russia-Ukraine war has been balanced from the beginning. India has been continuously talking about peace, dialogue and respect for sovereignty and has avoided openly supporting any one side. During Putin’s recent visit to India, Prime Minister Modi had clearly said that ‘India is not neutral, India is in favor of peace.’ Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar has also reiterated many times that the path of violence is not the solution and diplomacy is the only way to move forward.
How many times did PM Modi and Zelensky meet?
Since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, Prime Minister Modi and President Zelensky have had at least eight phone conversations and the two leaders have met face to face four times. Their recent conversation took place in late August, when PM Modi had reached Tianjin, China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit and was also scheduled to meet Putin during the same time.
Meanwhile, India’s relations with Russia are also being monitored at the international level. After Putin’s visit to India, many European countries had appealed to India to persuade Russia to end the war. At the same time, after America imposed 25 percent penalty tariff on the purchase of Russian oil, India has also had to reduce the import of Russian crude oil from September.
Interestingly, the joint statement issued after the recent talks with Putin did not even mention the Ukraine war directly, but addressed it only as a ‘crisis’. This language was different from the statements made by Modi in 2022 and 2024, when he had said things like ‘this is not an era of war’ and ‘solutions do not emerge from the battlefield’.
Now if Zelensky comes to India in January 2026, it will further strengthen India’s diplomatic strategy in which it wants to establish itself in the role of peace advocate and mediator while maintaining dialogue with both Russia and Ukraine. Along with this, this tour can also take India-Ukraine relations to a new height.
Volodymyr Zelensky meeting Volodymyr Zelensky meeting
