PM Modi may meet with Ukrainian President Zelensky in Japan

New Delhi: A bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky may happen on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Hiroshima. Senior diplomats of both nations are considering the possibility.

"Both sides are engaged in discussions to finalise the proposal," said people close to the matter to PTI. The Ukrainian President was invited by Japan to attend the summit.

It will be the first such meeting between the two leaders after the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. Ukraine's First Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzhaparova visited India last month. It was the first high-level trip from Kyiv to New Delhi. During the visit, she handed over a letter from Zelensky addressed to PM Modi to Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi.

PM Modi is currently on a three-nation tour which includes Papua New Guinea and Australia. He will be in Hiroshima to attend three sessions at the G7 summit. He will be holding a series of bilateral meetings with global leaders including Prime Minister of Japan Fumio Kishida.

PM Modi has spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelensky several times since the war began. India has maintained that the conflict must be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue. In October 2022, the PM said there can be "no military solution" and India is ready to contribute to peace efforts.