Kyiv, 23 Aug

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday underscored the relevance of Mahatma Gandhi’s eternal message of peace in building a harmonious society, as he paid floral tribute to the statue of the iconic Indian leader here in war-torn Ukraine.

Modi arrived here earlier in the day after a nearly seven-hour trip from Poland to hold talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy amid Kyiv's fresh military offensive into Russian territory.

Modi paid floral tribute to Mahatma Gandhi's statue in ‘Oasis of Peace’ park in Kyiv. "Paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Kyiv. The ideals of Bapu are universal and give hope to millions. May we all follow the path he showed to humanity," Modi wrote on X.

"Remembering Mahatma’s timeless message of peace. PM @narendramodi paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi in the ‘Oasis of Peace’ park in Kyiv. PM underscored the relevance of Mahatma’s eternal message of peace in building a harmonious society and finding solutions to present-day global challenges," Randhir Jaiswal, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson posted on X.

Modi will hold both one-on-one and delegation-level talks with Zelenskyy with a focus on ways to find a negotiated settlement to the Russia-Ukraine conflict that has badly impacted the world.

He also toured the country's Martyrologist Exposition to honour the memory of the fallen children along with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. "President @ZelenskyyUa and I paid homage at the Martyrologist Exposition in Kyiv. Conflict is particularly devastating for young children. My heart goes out to the families of children who lost their lives, and I pray that they find the strength to endure their grief," Modi posted on X.