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Prime Minister Narendra Modi began a historic visit to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv under the shadow of war to hold talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in what is being seen as a reflection of India's concerns over the continuing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
It is the first-ever visit to Ukraine by an Indian prime minister after Ukraine became independent in 1991, and his trip comes amid Kyiv's fresh military offensive in Russia's western Kursk region.
On his arrival following a nearly 10-hour train journey from Poland, Modi was accorded a warm welcome by members of the Indian community at the Hyatt Hotel.
Soon after, Modi visited the multimedia Martyrologist exposition on children at the National Museum of History in Kyiv.
Zelenskyy warmly hugged and shook hands with Modi at the exposition.
The prime minister was deeply touched by the poignant exposition set up in memory of children who have lost their lives in the conflict, the Ministry of External Affairs said.
Modi expressed his sorrow at the tragic loss of young lives and as a mark of respect placed a toy in their memory, it said.
"President @ZelenskyyUa and I paid homage at the Martyrologist Exposition in Kyiv. Conflict is particularly devastating for young children. My heart goes out to the families of children who lost their lives, and I pray that they find the strength to endure their grief," Modi said on X with pictures of him and Zelenskyy at the at the National Museum of History.
The prime minister's visit to Kyiv is expected to last for around seven hours.
Ahead of his talks with Zelenskyy, Modi also paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at his statue located in the 'Oasis of Peace' park in Kyiv.
Modi underscored the timeless relevance of Gandhi's message of peace in building a harmonious society and noted that the path shown by him offered solutions to present-day global challenges, the MEA said.
"Reached Kyiv earlier this morning. The Indian community accorded a very warm welcome," Modi said on 'X' shortly after reaching the Ukrainian capital.
Modi is holding both one-on-one and delegation-level talks with Zelenskyy with a focus on bringing peace and stability to Ukraine and the larger region.
The prime minister's visit to Kyiv comes nearly six weeks after his high-profile trip to Moscow and it is seen as a balancing act as the prime minister's trip to Russia triggered anguish among the Western countries.
Following talks with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Modi said on Thursday that the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia are a matter of "deep concern" and that "dialogue and diplomacy" is the way forward to restore peace.
"This is India's firm belief that no problem can be solved on the battlefield. In any crisis, the loss of lives of innocent people has become the biggest challenge for the whole of humanity," he said.
"We support dialogue and diplomacy for the early restoration of peace and stability. For this, India, along with its friendly countries, is ready to provide all possible support," he said in a media statement.
Modi held talks with Zelenskyy in June on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Italy's Apulia.
In the meeting, Modi conveyed to the Ukrainian President that India would continue to do everything within its means to support a peaceful solution to the Ukraine conflict and that the way to peace is through "dialogue and diplomacy".
Modi also told Zelenskyy that India believes in a "human-centric" approach to find a solution to the conflict in Ukraine.
In the meeting, the Ukrainian president invited the prime minister to visit Kyiv.