E-Paper
PM Modi chairs another high-level meeting on Ukraine crisis
Ukraine-Russia conflict: This is the fourth meeting in as many days where the PM has been discussing the evacuation process of stranded Indians from war-torn Ukraine with top Union ministers and senior officials, including the foreign secretary.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired another high-level meeting on Wednesday on the crisis that had arisen due to the Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
This is the fourth meeting in as many days where the PM has been discussing with top officials of the government about the safe evacuation of stranded Indians from war-torn Ukraine.
Wednesday's meeting was attended by Union ministers S Jaishankar and Piyush Goyal, besides foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and national security advisor Ajit Doval.
In an exclusive interview with the Hindustan Times earlier in the day, the PM said all efforts were being made to bring back Indians stuck in Ukraine following Russia's invasion of its neighbour. He said the government is working round-the-clock to evacuate its citizens. "We are aware of the hardships faced by our students due to the war situation. We are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that every Indian reaches home safely."
Live updates on Ukraine-Russia conflict
The meeting comes hours after the Indian embassy in Ukraine issued a fresh advisory, asking all of its stranded citizens to immediately leave Kharkiv and move to Pesochin, Babaye and Bezlyudovka by 6pm local time.
The advisory comes as Russian forces continue to strike Ukraine's second-largest city with missiles. A day ago, a 21-year-old Indian medical student, Naveen Shekharappa Gyandagoudar, died in shelling by Russian forces.
The embassy asked the students to leave Kharkiv for their “safety and security” and reach the settlements by the given time under all circumstances.
A day ago, the PM discussed the Ukraine crisis with French President Emmanuel Macron, Polish President Andrzej Duda and European Council President Charles Michel, and reiterated India’s call for an end to hostilities and a return to dialogue.
