Ukrainian deputy foreign minister likely to visit India next week

Ukrainian deputy foreign minister Emine Dzhaparova is expected to visit India early next week and is likely to present Kiev's version on the Russo-Ukrainian war. This would be the first such high-profile trip from Ukraine since the war began.

India continues to maintain neutrality over the conflict and abstain from UN resolutions favouring Kiev. The Indian government has maintained a consistent position on peace and dialogue as a way forward.

The visiting minister is also expected to engage with two leading Indian think tanks including Indian Council for World Affairs and experts in New Delhi, ET has learnt.


India has been providing Ukraine with humanitarian aid since last year and over 10 consignments have been sent so far. The aid has largely comprised essential medicines and medical equipment. Ukraine withdrew its envoy from New Delhi last year and is yet to name his successor.

Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation with the Ukrainian President, key figures of the Ukrainian government have given veiled warnings to India on sanctions. India has also kept a close watch on Pakistan's consistent supply of defence equipment to Ukraine via Central European states and Germany.

This week, India abstained from voting on the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution for an extension of the mandate of investigation into alleged war crimes by a year. The resolution was, anyhow, adopted as 28 countries supported the draft resolution while 17 countries including India abstained and only two countries were against this.

Over the last two weeks, India has hosted several top Russian officials and ministers including the minister for far east, national security advisor and head of Rosneft. India and Russia signed a new long-term energy deal amid record growth in bilateral trade that touched almost $40 billion in 2022-23.

Two mega India-Russia business meets were organised here over the past two weeks and the Russian chamber of commerce opened an office in India. Russian President Vladimir Putin released a new foreign policy document hailing ties with India and described India as a key partner at par with China.