Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held a telephonic conversation Russian Vladimir Putin and discussed the situation in Ukraine following the invasion of the Kremlin. PM Modi was briefed by Putin on the status of negotiations between the Ukrainian and Russian teams, said government sources.
“PM Modi stressed the importance of safe evacuation of Indian citizens from Sumy at the earliest. President Putin assured Prime Minister Modi of all possible cooperation in their safe evacuation,” ANI sources added
Earlier, PM Modi also spoke to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and appreciated the continuing direct dialogue between Moscow and Kyiv. “PM Modi thanked President Zelensky for the help extended by the Government of Ukraine in the evacuation of Indian nationals from Ukraine. PM sought continued support from the Government of Ukraine in ongoing efforts for evacuation of Indian nationals from Sumy,” ANI sources said.
Notably, PM Modi’s decision to hold another call with Putin and Zelenskyy comes a day after Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on several countries, including India, urging them to talk to the Russian leader and appeal to him to bring an end to the war. “I call on the governments of India, China, and Nigeria, to appeal to Russia to stop the fire and allow civilians to leave,” he 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.”
