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According to a report by Global Times on August 21, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on social media that day that he was on his way to Warsaw, Poland, and would then visit Ukraine at the invitation of Ukrainian President Zelensky. This will be Modi's first visit to Ukraine since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

According to Indian media reports, after arriving in Poland on August 21, Modi addressed the local Indian community and visited local monuments. On August 22, Modi will hold talks with Polish President Duda and Prime Minister Tusk. It is reported that Modi's visit to Poland will focus on security, trade and other fields.

After finishing his trip to Poland, Modi will pay a "lightning visit" to Ukraine on August 23, and his stay is expected to last for several hours. Modi said that he will "share views" with the Ukrainian side on resolving the Russia-Ukraine issue.

Security and trade are the main focuses of the visit to Poland

According to Indian media reports on August 22, this is the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Poland in 45 years. The visit coincides with the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The Associated Press reported that Modi will hold talks with Poland on trade, security and other issues during his visit. Before arriving in Poland, Modi said in a statement that Poland is India's main economic partner in Central Europe.

On August 19, the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs introduced that it is estimated that India's current investment in Poland is about US$3 billion (about RMB 21.4 billion), Poland's investment in India is about US$1 billion, and the two countries' two-way trade volume in 2023 is about US$6 billion.

After arriving in Poland, Modi addressed members of the Indian community in Warsaw on August 21. According to Indian media reports, Modi said in his speech that India's current strategy is to "maintain equal and close ties" with all countries, rather than the previous policy of "maintaining equal distance."

Modi also visited a World War II memorial in Warsaw on the same day. During World War II, more than 6,000 Polish women and children took refuge in Kolhapur and Jamnagar in India.

Modi will hold separate talks with Polish President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Donald Tusk on the second day of his arrival in Poland, which are expected to focus on security issues, especially in the areas bordering Ukraine.

After the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Modi spoke with Duda in March 2022 to thank Poland for providing necessary assistance in evacuating Indian citizens from Ukraine and for Poland's relaxation of visa requirements for Indian citizens transiting through the conflict zone.

At that time, more than 4,000 Indian students passed through Poland to leave the conflict zone. In addition, Modi met with Tusk four times. Tusk previously served as the President of the European Council.

Lightning visit to Ukraine, plans to "share views" with the Ukrainian side

The Times of India said that like other leaders who have visited Ukraine, Modi will take a train from Przemysl on the Polish-Ukrainian border to Kiev after ending his trip to Poland.

Apart from the information that the visit will last for several hours, Indian media said that Indian officials have basically not disclosed the specific details of Modi's visit to Ukraine.

Before his visit to Ukraine, Modi told the Indian community in Warsaw that India hopes to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict through diplomacy and dialogue.

"I look forward to the opportunity to build on earlier conversations on strengthening bilateral cooperation with President Zelensky and to share views on a peaceful resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict," Modi said.

It is reported that Modi visited Russia in July this year, which aroused Zelensky's dissatisfaction.

At that time, Modi's two-day visit to Russia was his first overseas visit since he was sworn in as prime minister for the third time in June, and it was also his first visit to Russia in five years. At that time, some observers pointed out that compared with previous visits to neighboring countries after winning elections, Modi's first visit to Russia after his re-election was a "traditional" visit, highlighting India's emphasis on relations with Russia.

Some Indian analysts said that Modi's brief visit to Ukraine was intended to limit the damage caused to him by his trip to Russia, and was also a strategic balancing act taken at a time when India has close relations with the West.

Some Indian diplomats refuted the above view, saying that India's relations with Russia and Ukraine are independent of each other. They believe that Modi's visit to Ukraine is based on the cross-sector interaction between India and Ukraine.

Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Russia has become India's largest oil supplier as Indian refiners snapped up cheap Russian crude. At the same time, India has maintained contact with Ukraine. Modi met with Zelensky during the G7 summit in June this year, and the two have had several phone calls since the outbreak of the conflict.

It is reported that although the outside world once believed that India was willing to act as a mediator in the Russia-Ukraine conflict to end the war, Indian officials have only stated that they are willing to provide any support to peacefully resolve the conflict.