Modi suggests direct talks between Putin and Zelenskyy to assist the peace efforts
New Delhi: On a day when 1314 Indians were airlifted by 7 special civilian flights from Ukraine’s neighbouring countries, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke on phone today with Russian President Vladimir Putin to express his “deep concern” for the safety and security of the Indian students still remaining in Sumy.
President Putin briefed Prime Minister about the ongoing measures related to humanitarian corridors for facilitating evacuation of civilians including Indian students.
It may be mentioned that Russia and Ukraine agreed on a format for maintaining humanitarian corridors for civilians. However, both nations have blamed each other of obstructing the safe passage of the people using these corridors. Russia event went on to accuse Ukraine of holding foreigners and civilians hostage.
Earlier in the day Modi also talked to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and thanked Ukrainian authorities for their facilitation in evacuating more than 20000 Indian citizens from Ukraine. He expressed deep concern for safety and security of Indian students still remaining in Ukraine and emphasized the need for their quick and safe evacuation.
According to a press release issued by the Indian Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), President Zelenskyy briefed Modi in detail about the conflict situation and the ongoing negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. Modi expressed deep concern about the ongoing conflict and resultant humanitarian crisis and reiterated his call for immediate cessation of violence and noted that India had always stood for peaceful resolution of issues and direct dialogue between the two parties.
In his phone conversation with Putin, Modi discussed the evolving situation in Ukraine, and President Putin briefed him on the status of the negotiations between the Ukrainian and Russian teams that the Indian Prime Minister welcomed the ongoing talks between Russia and Ukraine and expressed hope that they would lead to cessation of the conflict.
Modi suggested to the Russian President that a direct conversation between President Putin and President Zelenskyy may greatly assist the ongoing peace efforts.
It may be mentioned that on March 5, 2022, the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had categorically mentioned that Russia had spelt out to the Ukrainian negotiators in Belarus the conditions Moscow considered “absolutely indispensable” for resolving the present crisis. These conditions included Ukraine’s demilitarisation, neutral status and denazification, “because the rampant neo-Nazism, with the direct connivance of enlightened Europe, has reached an unacceptable and threatening level in Ukraine”. Russia further wants recognition of the “fact” that Crimea has long been Russian. Kremlin also wants that the independence proclaimed by the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics within the boundaries of the respective regions must be recognised. Besides, Russia seeks to remove the threat that the North Atlantic Alliance members have created for years on the Ukrainian territory against the Russian Federation, Lavrov had told media persons in Moscow.
Meanwhile, the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation today stated more than seventeen thousand four hundred Indians had been brought back by special flights so far since the special flights began on February 22, 2022. <\p>
The number of Indians airlifted by 73 special civilian flights has gone up to 15206. One C-17 Indian Air Force (IAF) flight, with 201 Indians on board, was expected to arrive later in the evening today. The IAF had earlier flown 10 sorties to bring back 2056 passengers, as part of the ‘Operation Ganga’.
Among the special Civilian flights today, 4 landed in New Delhi while 2 reached Mumbai. There were 5 flights from Budapest, and one each from Bucharest and Suceava, and one flight was expected late in the evening..
Tomorrow, 2 special Civilian flights are expected to operate from Suceva, bringing in more than 400 Indians back home, the Ministry stated.
– global bihari bureau
