New Delhi: On the backdrop of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India, India is in touch with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to New Delhi. If the visit is scheduled, the same can take place by January next year. India is in touch with Kiev even before Putin’s visit.

As per a report published in ‘The Indian Express’, the visit of the Ukrainian President in India is being seen as a balancing act by New Delhi. India is trying to invite him to India to maintain a balancing act. While India has said that it is on the side of peace, the Western countries led by the US are trying to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

Putin’s visit against backdrop of US’ additional tariff

This, even as the US has imposed an additional 25 percent Tariff on India for buying oil from Russia. Washington has also alleged that Russia is using the money it gets by selling oil to India in the war against Ukraine. If Zelenskyy comes to India, it would be a major diplomatic win for India globally.

The recent Putin’s visit in India was closely watched by the US and European countries. Several Western countries had expressed hope that India would be able to play a bridge between Russia and Ukraine to end the war. On its part, India always supported the peace process between both two countries.

Modi-Zelenskyy talks held several times

Notably, since the war started in 2022, PM Modi has had a telephonic conversation with Zelenskyy at least eight times. Both leaders also interacted face-to-face at least four times since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war. The most recent meeting was in August this year, when the prime minister was in China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.

Just as Zelenskky earlier, PM Modi once again repeated to Putin recently that India stayed away from the war, but is not neutral. He added that India remained in favour of peace. "We come from the land of Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi with a message of peace,” the PM had said.