Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached the capital Kyiv on Friday on a one-day visit to the war-torn country Ukraine. PM Modi was given a grand welcome by the Indian community on his arrival in Kyiv. This is the first visit of an Indian Prime Minister to Ukraine. PM Modi will stay in Kyiv for a total of seven hours. During this time, he will hold a one-on-one discussion with President Volodymyr Zelensky on the issue of peaceful resolution of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. After this, there will also be delegation-level talks between the two countries.
Meanwhile, the United States has made a big move. The US Joe Biden administration has decided to provide $125 million in economic aid to Ukraine in the war against Russia. On Thursday, the Associated Press (AP) quoted a Biden administration official as saying that the new military aid package of $125 million will include a range of defense equipment including Aik Defense Missiles, ammunition for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), anti-armor missiles, counter-drone technology and Javelin.
The report said that at present the US government has not publicly announced this financial aid, but President Joe Biden has given its permission and it is believed that it will be announced by Friday evening after PM Modi’s Ukraine visit ends. According to AP, the US official said that President Biden’s military assistance authority will be used to provide military aid to Ukraine. He also said that this authority also allows the US government to use the weapons stockpile taken from the Pentagon.
Let us tell you that America has decided to give this package at a time when PM Modi will talk to the Ukrainian President on the issue of peaceful resolution of the war with Russia. On the other hand, both the countries will also hold delegation level talks on defense deals. India has also emerged as a big exporter of defense products in recent times and the demand for Indian missiles has increased in countries around the world. Deals have also been happening between India and Ukraine regarding defense technology, but for the last about two and a half years, defense deals between the two countries have been derailed due to the Ukraine-Russia war.
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Currently, Ukraine wants to provide defense technology to India, for this Ukraine wants to form a joint venture. A report in The Hindu states that after the war broke out in February 2022, all three armies of India have had to face a supply crisis. Sources say that to end this problem, the army tried a lot at its level and contacted many neighboring countries of Ukraine, Poland, Estonia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic and tried to get supplies, but despite this the situation has not been completely back on track.
Prime Minister Modi has also visited Russia before his visit to Ukraine. India and Russia also have strong defence relations. However, India has made it clear that it does not want to become a mediator between Ukraine and Russia, but is in favour of both countries finding a peaceful solution to the war through mutual dialogue. Meanwhile, Ukraine is continuously infiltrating Russia’s Kursk region. Earlier this month, Ukraine launched an offensive operation in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, under which the Ukrainian army has entered up to 1000 kilometres.
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Thousands of Russians have been evacuated from Kursk and surrounding areas. This strategy of Ukraine has intensified armed clashes in south-western Russia. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova made it clear on Wednesday that Ukraine’s aggression has dashed the hopes of peace restoration between the two countries. This means that the war between the two countries may continue for a long time, in which Ukraine will need huge amounts of defense material. In view of this situation, America has decided to provide new help to Ukraine.