Prime Minister Modi had earlier in the day spoken to Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy and sought his support too for the evacuation of Indians stuck in Sumy
File image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Russian president Vladimir Putin. Image courtesy PIB
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Russian president Vladimir Putin this afternoon over a phone call that lasted for 50 minutes.
According to government sources, Modi urged President Putin to hold direct talks with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy in addition to the ongoing negotiations between their teams.
According to government sources, Modi appreciated the announcement of ceasefire and the establishment of humanitarian corridors in parts of Ukraine, including Sumy. He even stressed the importance of the safe evacuation of Indian citizens from Ukraine’s Sumy city at the earliest, sources say.
The two leaders also discussed the evolving situation in Ukraine.
President Putin assured Prime Minister Modi of all possible cooperation in their safe evacuation.
Prime Minister Modi had also spoken to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy today and sought his support for the evacuation of Indians stuck in northeastern Ukraine’s Sumy city, while reiterating his call for an immediate cessation of violence to defuse the ongoing conflict in the eastern European nation.
Around 700 Indian students are stranded in Sumy amid intense fighting between Russian and Ukrainian troops and India has been urging both sides to create a “humanitarian corridor” for their safe evacuation.
In his nearly 35-minute phone conversation with Zelenskyy, Modi sought continued support from the government of Ukraine in ongoing efforts for evacuation of Indian nationals from Sumy, official sources said.
A statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said Modi expressed “deep concern for safety and security of Indian students still in Ukraine and emphasised the need for their quick and safe evacuation.”
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.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that he has informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the need to counter the “Russian aggression against his country and India has appreciated Ukraine’s commitment to direct peaceful dialogue at the highest level with Moscow.
“Informed Indian Prime Minister @narendramodi about Ukraine countering Russian aggression, President Zelenskyy tweeted after his telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Modi that lasted for around 35 minutes.
“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, Zelenskyy added.
With inputs from agencies
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