Stepping up efforts to bring out all the Indians from strife-torn Ukraine, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held talks with President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and called for a sustained dialogue. He also urged both leaders to ensure the safety of the stranded Indians, especially Sumy, Ukraine.
Modi had talked to Putin twice earlier since the conflict began in late February and once with the Ukraine President. India has all along favoured diplomacy and dialogue to bring an end to the war which began on February 24.
Though India has refrained from criticising Russia’s actions in Ukraine because of the close strategic ties between New Delhi and Moscow, it has said the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries must be respected.
In his 50-minute talks with Putin on Monday, the Prime Minister stressed upon the safe evacuation of Indian citizens from Sumy at the earliest. The Russian President assured him of all possible cooperation in their safe evacuation.
Sumy and Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine have borne the brunt of the Russian military offensive and more than 700 Indian students were stranded in Sumy.
The Prime Minister’s talks with the two leaders came at a time when India is focusing on evacuating all its citizens from the eastern part of Ukraine witness to heavy fighting.
Modi appreciated the announcement of the ceasefire and establishment of humanitarian corridors in parts of Ukraine including Sumy while talking to Putin.
The Ministry of External Affairs said later the two leaders discussed the evolving situation in Ukraine. Putin briefed Modi on the status of negotiations between the Ukrainian and Russian teams.
Modi welcomed the ongoing negotiations between Russia and Ukraine and expressed hope that they would lead to cessation of the conflict. He suggested that a direct conversation between President Putin and President Zelenskyy may greatly assist the ongoing peace efforts.
Modi conveyed his deep concern for the safety and security of the Indian students still remaining in Sumy. “President Putin briefed the Prime Minister about the ongoing measures related to humanitarian corridors for facilitating the evacuation of civilians including Indian students,” the statement said.
Modi’s telephonic conversations with his Russian and Ukrainian leadership came as Russia declared a ceasefire in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and three other cities of Kharkiv, Mariupol, and Sumy. The cessation of firing will enable the opening of humanitarian corridors for the citizens to be evacuated.
Modi had talked to Putin last week wherein he had discussed the evacuation of Indians from Kharkiv, which is witnessing ferocious fighting between the Russian and the Ukrainian forces.
Before his talks with Putin, Modi spoke with Zelenskyy for nearly 40 minutes and sought his support in the evacuation of the Indians now stranded in Sumy.
After the talks, Zelenskyy took to Twitter to thank the prime minister for the support. “Informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi about Ukraine countering Russian aggression. India appreciates the assistance to its citizens during the war and Ukraine’s commitment to direct peaceful dialogue at the highest level. Grateful for the support to the Ukrainian people. #StopRussia,” the Ukrainian President had tweeted.
The Ministry of External Affairs in a statement said Zelenskyy briefed the Prime Minister in detail about the conflict situation and the ongoing negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.
“The Prime Minister expressed deep concern about the ongoing conflict and resultant humanitarian crisis. The Prime Minister reiterated his call for an immediate cessation of violence and noted that India has always stood for peaceful resolution of issues and direct dialogue between the two parties.
“The Prime Minister thanked Ukrainian authorities for their facilitation in evacuating more than 20,000 Indian citizens from Ukraine. He expressed deep concern for the safety and security of Indian students still remaining in Ukraine and emphasised the need for their quick and safe evacuation,” the statement said.
The Modi-Zelenskyy talks, the second between the two in the last nine days, came on a day Russian authorities said they would start a ceasefire on Monday and open “humanitarian corridors” in key Ukrainian cities including Kyiv, Kharkiv and Sumy.
Russian news agency Interfax, quoting local authorities, reported that Russia has informed the United Nations, Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) about opening humanitarian corridors in Kyiv, Mariupol, Kharkiv, and Sumy.
The Indian Embassy in Ukraine on Sunday said a team from the mission was stationed in Poltava city to coordinate the safe passage of Indian students in Sumy to Western borders via Poltava.
Meanwhile, Russia’s new “humanitarian corridors” were dismissed by Ukraine as an immoral stunt. A spokesperson for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the move “completely immoral” and said Russia was trying to “use people’s suffering to create a television picture”.
“They are citizens of Ukraine, they should have the right to evacuate to the territory of Ukraine,” the spokesperson told news agency Reuters.
The Russian Embassy said its military personnel are making every effort to ensure the evacuation of the Indian citizens from Sumy. The Embassy said the Prime Minister expressed gratitude to the Russian side for the measures taken to return his compatriots to their homeland.
It also said the Russian President informed the Prime Minister about the decision of the Russian Armed Forces to establish a ceasefire and open humanitarian corridors today amid the worsening of the humanitarian situation.
The two leaders also discussed the situation around special military operations in Donbass, including the evacuation of the Indian citizens, it said.