External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will undertake an official visit to Ukraine and Poland from 3 to 5 September, as announced by the Ministry of External Affairs.

During this visit, Jaishankar will hold bilateral consultations with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski. The discussions will focus on enhancing bilateral relations and provide an opportunity for both sides to exchange views on regional developments and issues of mutual interest.

This visit comes shortly after Ukraine’s First Deputy Head of the Office of the President, Sergiy Kyslytsya, held a substantive meeting with India’s Ambassador to Ukraine, Anjani Kumar. The meeting, also attended by Deputy Head of the Office of the President Oleksii Sobolev, discussed prospects for India-Ukraine relations, including New Delhi’s role in efforts to end Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Kyslytsya highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent message to Russian President Vladimir Putin, stressing that “the time has come to move from an endless war to an end of war.” He expressed optimism about continued dialogue with India and the translation of this shared interest in peace into concrete steps.

The visit also comes against the backdrop of tragic developments in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently confirmed that an Indian citizen was among 12 people killed in a massive aerial assault launched by Russia. Dozens more were injured in the attack. Zelenskyy conveyed condolences to the families of those who lost loved ones.

Following this, the Indian embassy in Kyiv stated that it is in touch with the family of the Indian national killed in the attack and is providing all possible assistance for the early repatriation of the mortal remains.

EAM Jaishankar’s visit to Poland coincides with preparations for Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s expected visit to India. On 20 August, Poland’s Ambassador to India Piotr Antoni Switalski said that the Polish PM’s visit would send a strong signal to business partners and stakeholders that cooperation between the two countries has the “green light.”

Switalski emphasised that the visit would continue the political dialogue between India and Poland. He recalled Prime Minister Modi’s historic visit to Poland in 2024, during which both nations signed a strategic partnership.

He noted that this would be the third visit of Prime Minister Tusk to India, adding that Tusk is very fond of India and enjoys visiting the country.

Preparations for the Polish Prime Minister’s visit are currently underway, with expectations that it will further strengthen bilateral ties.

This sequence of high-level engagements underscores India’s growing diplomatic outreach in Eastern Europe, balancing its strategic interests in Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict and deepening its partnership with Poland under the framework of the strategic program agreed in 2024.

ANI