Minister Anastasia Bondar hopeful Indian PM Narendra Modi will visit conflict-hit Ukraine soon

She said it was the only way the Indian leader could be shown the real situation in Ukraine.

"I personally strongly believe that the Indian Prime Minister will hopefully very soon come to Ukraine, and this is the only possible way to bring and show him and l the team would be joining him to show the real situation on what is going on right now in Ukraine," she told WION news channel.

" So, again, I would very much welcome the Prime Minister together with all the ministers and our partners from the Ministry of Culture in Ukraine. Hope to see them in Kyiv very soon," she said.

She made the comment at a time when several media reports are claiming Modi is likely to visit Ukraine next month.

This would be the Prime Minister's first visit to Ukraine since its war with Russia, reported India Today.

Modi and Zelenskyy last met on the sidelines of the G7 Summit.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently reacted sharply to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's brief visit to Russia and his interaction with Russian President Vladimir Putin, particularly mentioning the "hug" shared between the two leaders amid Moscow's war with Ukraine.

Zelenskky's post came after PM Modi met President Putin in Moscow and shared an embrace.

Visuals from their meeting showed the two leaders drinking tea on a terrace at Putin's home in Novo-Ogaryovo outside Moscow, and the Indian being driven around in a golf cart.

One photo in particular, where Modi is seen hugging Putin, has been widely shared online.

"It is a huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts to see the leader of the world's largest democracy hug the world's most bloody criminal in Moscow on such a day..."the Ukraine President tweeted.

Following his meeting with Putin, Modi had said he had a productive discussion with the Russian President.