Russia, Ukraine presidents have invited PM Modi to visit their countries: Officials

The presidents of Russia and Ukraine have invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit their respective countries after the general elections in India are over, officials said here on Wednesday. In separate telephonic conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Modi reiterated India's commitment to an early and peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict between the two countries, the officials said, adding that both the leaders said they saw the Indian prime minister as a "peace-maker".

"Both Putin and Zelenskyy also invited Modi to visit their countries after the elections in India get over," an official said.

The prime minister has in the past cited invitations extended to him by foreign leaders to visit their countries as their endorsement of the view that he is set to retain power in the Lok Sabha elections, which start on April 19 and will be over in the first week of June.


In his address to thousands of BJP delegates at the party's convention last month, he said that many foreign countries have invited him for engagements in July, August and September. This suggests that these countries also know that "aayega toh Modi hi" (Modi's re-election is inevitable), he had said.

In his conversation with Putin, Modi congratulated him on winning a fifth term in office and asserted that dialogue and diplomacy were the way forward in resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Putin also extended his best wishes to Modi for the elections.

Speaking to Zelenskyy, Modi said India supports all efforts for an early and peaceful resolution to the conflict.