After Hosting Putin, India Now Eyes Possible Zelenskyy Visit In Early 2026: Report

After Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded his two-day visit to New Delhi on 5 December, India is now working to schedule a possible visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the coming months, The Indian Express has reported, citing sources.

According to the report, the proposed visit, expected to take place as early as January 2026, is part of India’s ongoing effort to remain diplomatically engaged with both sides of the Russia–Ukraine war.

Officials cited in the report said discussions between Indian and Ukrainian authorities have been underway for several weeks, with New Delhi staying in touch with Zelenskyy’s office even before Putin arrived in India.

The final plan for the visit will hinge on a range of developments, including the direction of US-led peace efforts and the evolving military situation. Ongoing political turbulence in Ukraine may also shape the outcome.

Ukrainian Presidents have reportedly visited India only three times so far — in 1992, 2002 and 2012.

A Zelenskyy visit would follow last year’s diplomatic sequence, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled to Moscow in July 2024 to meet Putin and then visited Ukraine the following month.

Putin’s India trip has drawn attention across European capitals, with some diplomats encouraging New Delhi to play a more active role in nudging Moscow towards de-escalation.

India, however, continues to underline that its approach is rooted in dialogue and diplomacy, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi framing it as: "India is not neutral, India is on the side of peace".

Since the war began in February 2022, India has remained in regular contact with both Moscow and Kyiv.

PM Modi has spoken to Zelenskyy by phone at least eight times and has met him on four occasions.

Their most recent interaction took place on 30 August, when PM Modi was in Tianjin for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit and was also scheduled to meet Putin on the sidelines.

The conflict has also begun to impact India directly. A 25 per cent penalty tariff imposed by Donald Trump on countries purchasing Russian oil has forced India to scale back its Russian crude imports since September amid rising secondary sanctions and tariff pressures.

PM Modi’s recent remarks to Putin echoed the language he used during his Ukraine visit in August 2024, when he told Zelenskyy that India had stayed away from the war but was not neutral and remained in favour of peace.

Invoking the legacy of Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi, PM Modi had said that India’s position has always been guided by a message of peace.

According to the IE report, Indian officials had earlier been in contact with Andriy Yermak, Zelenskyy’s close aide and former chief of staff, who resigned this week following a corruption scandal.

With his exit, New Delhi has now begun reaching out to new officials in Zelenskyy’s office to continue discussions and work out mutually convenient dates for the proposed visit.

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