August 19, 2024: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Ukraine, the Indian foreign ministry said on Monday, his first trip to the war-torn country since its conflict with Russia and about a month after he met President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

Details of the trip will be shared later in the day, the foreign ministry said. India has refrained from directly blaming Russia – for what Moscow calls a special military operation – while urging the neighbours to resolve the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.

The US has raised concerns over India’s relationship with Russia, especially at a time when Washington has been seeking to strengthen ties with New Delhi as a potential counterweight to an ascendant China.