Ukraine foreign minister in India amid war with Russia

Ukraine's First Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzhaparova began a four-day visit to India on Sunday, the first official visit from the East European country since the Russian invasion began last year.

Dzhaparova will hold talks with Sanjay Verma, Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). It is expected that the Ukrainian minister may extend an invitation for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Ukraine.

The MEA said that Dzhaparova will hold talks with Verma, during which both sides are expected to discuss bilateral relations, exchange views on the current situation in Ukraine and global issues of mutual interest.

Dzhaparova will also call on Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture Meenakshi Lekhi and meet Deputy National Security Adviser Vikram Misri. Since the Ukraine conflict began in February last year, PM Modi spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a number of times. In a phone conversation with Zelensky on October 4 last year, Modi said there can be "no military solution" and that India is ready to contribute to any peace efforts. India has not yet condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and it has been maintaining that the crisis must be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue.