Ukraine has once again urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to talk to Russian President Vladimir Putin for cessation of hostilities and blamed Moscow for violating the ceasefire agreement.
Demanding a fresh round of sanctions against Russia, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba urged governments of several countries, including India, to appeal to Russia to stop the ongoing conflict.Making this appeal in a televised address, the Minister also charged Russia with violating the ceasefire agreements and urged it to stop shooting to allow civilians, including foreign students, to evacuate.
Replying to a question on the support from nations across the world, Kuleba said, "We call on Prime Minister Modi to reach out to President Putin and explain to him that this war is against (the) interest of all. The only person on the entire planet - who is interested in this war is President Putin himself. People of Russia are not interested in this war."
He also said India is "one of the largest consumers of Ukrainian agricultural products and if this war continues, it'll be difficult for us to seed new harvests. So, even in terms of global and Indian food security, it's in the best interest to stop this war.”
"For 30 years, Ukraine was a welcoming home for thousands of students from Africa and Asia... to facilitate their (foreign students') movement, Ukraine arranged trains, set up hotlines, worked with embassies... The Ukrainian Government is doing its best," he said.
Kuleba said all countries, including India, who enjoy special relations with Russia, can appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin that "this war is against the interest of all."
He called on ordinary Indians to put pressure on Russia to demand from them to stop the war. "Ukraine is fighting only because we were attacked and we have to defend our land because Putin does not recognise our right to exist."
Kuleba claimed that humanitarian corridors and ceasefires do not exist because Russian forces violated the agreement reached in the morning to arrange humanitarian corridors. "We urge Russia to stop shooting to allow civilians, including foreign students, to evacuate."