Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Ukraine later this week, marking his first trip to the country.

The visit, expected between August 21-23, comes about a month after Modi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

Modi will hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, following up on their previous meeting at the G7 summit in May and several phone calls since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The visit aims to reassure India’s Western partners, who were concerned about Modi’s recent visit to Moscow.

India has maintained a balanced stance on the Ukraine conflict, neither condemning nor supporting it, while continuing to trade with Russia, the Independent has reported.

Modi is also expected to visit Poland during this trip, which seeks to strengthen India’s diplomatic and trade ties with Ukraine and the West.

Written by B.C. Begley