Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday in separate telephone calls on the conflict situation in Ukraine, ongoing negotiations between the two countries, and the need for safe evacuation of the remaining Indian students still stuck in Ukraine.

Modi suggested that a direct conversation between Putin and Zelenskyy may greatly assist the ongoing peace efforts., according to a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs.

“President Putin briefed the Prime Minister about the ongoing measures related to humanitarian corridors for facilitating evacuation of civilians, including Indian students,” the release said.

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Temporary ceasefire

According to Russia’s Defence Ministry, the Russian military decided on Monday to hold fire and open humanitarian corridors in some Ukrainian cities, including Sumy, where more than 700 students are reportedly still stranded and waiting to be evacuated. The other towns where there will be a temporary ceasefire include the capital Kyiv, Kharkiv and Mariupol.

“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,” an official release issued by the MEA stated.

Modi, in his conversation with Putin, welcomed ongoing negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, and expressed hope that they would lead to cessation of the conflict

“The Prime Minister expressed deep concern about the ongoing conflict and the resultant humanitarian crisis. He reiterated his call for the immediate cessation of violence and noted that India has always stood for peaceful resolution of issues and direct dialogue between the two parties,” the MEA statement on Modi’s call with Zelenskyy said.

Safe passage of students

A team from the Embassy of India is stationed in Poltava City to coordinate the safe passage of Indian students stranded in Sumy to Western borders via Poltava, according to a late-night tweet by the Indian Embassy in Ukraine on Sunday.

As many as seven flights operated under ‘Operation Ganga’ are expected to bring back 1,200 Indian nationals today, the MEA said. So far, 76 flights have brought over 15,920 Indians back to the country under the ongoing operation. A total of over 21,000 Indians came out of Ukraine since the issuance of the advisory in January 2022. Of these, 19,920 Indians have already reached India, according to government figures.

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