"It's An Important Visit": US On PM Modi's Trip To War-Hit Ukraine

The US on Wednesday described Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Ukraine on August 23 as "important" that comes around six weeks after his trip to Moscow.

Richard R Verma, the US Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, at the same time noted that Washington understands India's "long relationship" with Russia.

Prime Minister Modi arrived in the Polish capital Warsaw on Wednesday as part of his two-nation visit to Poland and Ukraine.

The prime minister will be in Kyiv for around seven hours on Friday.

The prime minister is scheduled to hold one-on-one and delegation-level talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with a focus on finding a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine conflict.

"I am delighted about this visit. I think this is an important visit -- Poland and Ukraine," Mr Verma said at an interactive session at the Centre for Social and Economic Progress in Delhi.

The senior Biden administration official said he appreciated PM Modi's previous comments that it is not an era of war and it is time for peace.

"We understand India's long relationship with Russia and India has to make its determinations about where it wants to be on the scale," Mr Verma said.

The former US ambassador to India added "This is a very consequential period for the defence of liberty, freedom and rule of law".

The US and several of its allies were outraged over the timing of Prime Minister Modi's July 8-9 visit to Moscow as it coincided with the NATO summit in Washington.

Some Western capitals were also learnt to be peeved over Prime Minister Modi choosing Russia for his first bilateral trip in his third term.

India has not yet condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and it has been calling for resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.

In his summit talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Prime Minister Modi said a solution to the Ukraine conflict is not possible on the battlefield and peace talks do not succeed amidst bombs and bullets.

On the political developments in Bangladesh, Verma said the US has been supportive of the democratic process in that country.

"It has been a difficult situation for people there for the last few months. I am not going to get into all the misinformation and disinformation that's out there on social media," he said.

Verma was responding to a question on allegations that the US had a hand in destabilising the previous government of Sheikh Hasina.

"We will be supportive of this transition as it plays out," he said.

Ms Hasina resigned and fled to India on August 5 following weeks of violent unrest.

Days later, an interim government headed by Nobel laureate Yunus was sworn in on August 8, along with 16 advisers.

The US official also slammed Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

"I think what we have witnessed over the last two-plus years is really an attempt by Russia to destabilise the global order to upend the post-World War system," he said.

"Frankly the targeting of civilians, the killing of children in hospitals -- I think it's been terrible from many different aspects," he said.

"I am glad to see international alliance coming together to support Ukraine in its efforts to defend itself. I think that's the important piece here -- it is to try and protect and preserve international order," he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)