Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Ukraine on Friday after an invitation came from President Volodymyr Zelensky.

“This is the first visit of the head of the Indian government to our country in the history of bilateral relations,” the Ukrainian presidential office said in a statement on Telegram.

Modi will also visit Poland as part of his trip.

The announcement of the planned visit to Ukraine and Poland comes just weeks after Modi visited Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia, drawing criticism from Kyiv after pictures emerged of him hugging his host at Putin’s country residence.

India has close ties to Moscow, and its government has stopped short of explicitly condemning Russia’s invasion of its neighbour, calling instead for dialogue to resolve the conflict.

Russia is not only a key supplier of arms to India, but has also provided the South Asian country with cut-price crude oil since the invasion begun as it seeks markets not hit by Western sanctions imposed over its aggression.

However, there have been some tensions as New Delhi urges Moscow to return several of its citizens who signed up for ‘support jobs’ with the Russian military, but were later sent to fight on the frontlines in Ukraine.

At least five Indian soldiers have died in the conflict.

DW