Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Evian, France, reviewing bilateral cooperation and exploring ways to restore trade and expand economic engagement between the two countries. The meeting came amid renewed global focus on the Ukraine conflict, with both leaders expressing interest in strengthening ties and advancing joint projects across multiple sectors.
After the meeting, PM Modi said India and Ukraine had maintained active engagement in recent years and stressed the need to rebuild trade relations to pre-war levels.
“Met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Evian. In recent times, India and Ukraine have been engaging extensively. This has been reflected in different areas of our cooperation. Our talks today were about reviewing different aspects of our cooperation. We both agree that trade ties need to be restored to what they were in the pre-war time. Also reiterated that India will always be on the side of peace, placing the values of humanity over everything else,” Modi said in a post on X.
The talks were attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.
Zelenskyy also underscored the scope for closer cooperation between Kyiv and New Delhi, saying both sides were keen to give greater momentum to ongoing initiatives.
“I met with the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. Our countries have great potential for cooperation, and we are already implementing joint projects. Today, we discussed how to give them even more substance and expand cooperation across various sectors,” Zelenskyy said on X.
Highlighting the importance of the partnership, he added: “Importantly, the Prime Minister is interested in developing mutually beneficial relations with Ukraine and sees that this partnership can make our people stronger. There are good industrial and other projects that we can implement together. We agreed that our teams would work through all the details.”
The meeting took place as the G7 Summit once again brought the war in Ukraine into sharp focus.
Earlier, G7 leaders issued a joint declaration reaffirming their support for Ukraine and announcing additional military assistance, including air defence systems, interceptors and long-range ammunition. The grouping also agreed to provide licences to help expand Ukraine’s domestic military production capabilities.
The leaders further pledged to tighten sanctions on Russia’s oil and gas sectors while extending support to help Ukraine meet its energy requirements ahead of the winter season.
In their declaration, the G7 leaders reiterated their “unwavering support” for Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and freedom, while praising the resilience of the Ukrainian people throughout the prolonged conflict.
The Modi-Zelenskyy meeting signals continued engagement between India and Ukraine as both countries seek to strengthen economic cooperation despite the challenges posed by the ongoing war.
