KYIV – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Kyiv on Friday for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that will be keenly watched in Russia as its assault on its neighbor grinds on. Modi’s visit, the first by an Indian leader since Ukrainian independence, comes just weeks after he traveled to Moscow in a symbolic first overseas trip of his new term as leader, where he held talks with President Vladimir Putin that were criticized by Kyiv.

After talks concluded, India’s Minister of External Affairs, S. Jaishankar, stressed that India is committed to helping end the war. “We are very, very keen that this conflict should come to an end,” Jaishankar said at a press briefing. Despite repeatedly called for a ceasefire and peace in Ukraine, New Delhi has refrained from condemning Russia’s invasion as it seeks to maintain relations with Moscow – a major supplier of its arms and a longstanding partner it sees as key to balancing its strained relationship with China.

India has also acted as an economic lifeline for Russia, ramping up purchases of its crude oil after countries around the world slapped sanctions on Moscow, isolating it economically. India overtook China as the world’s biggest importer of Russian oil last month, according to Reuters, citing data from trade and industry sources. Jaishankar defended India’s purchasing of oil from Russia, saying it was not indicative of a wider political posture.

“India is a big oil consumer, it is a big oil importer, because we do not have oil. It is not like there is a political strategy to buy oil, there is an oil strategy to buy oil, there is a market strategy to buy oil,” Jaishankar said. Ukraine, throughout the war, has sought to convince countries that maintain close relationships with Russia — such as India and China — to push Putin toward Kyiv’s terms for peace. Zelensky hailed Modi’s visit as “historic” and “symbolic,” thanking India for its “support of our sovereignty and territorial integrity” over two-and-a-half years of war.

The Indian leader’s arrival in Kyiv — a day ahead of Ukraine’s independence day — follows his two-day trip to Poland, where he elevated India’s ties with the NATO member. Referencing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East during a press conference in Warsaw, Modi reiterated India’s stance that “no problem can be solved on the battlefield.”(CNN)…[+]