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Ukrainian ambassador asked about complaints of Indian students. He responds
After multiple questions to seek assurances from Ukraine on the safety of the Indian students, an exasperated Ukrainian ambassador Igor Polikha said: “The main assurances should be given by (Russian President Vladimir) Putin to the Indian students.”
Ukraine is doing everything possible in challenging circumstances to facilitate the exit of Indian nationals, especially students, though Russian President Vladimir Putin alone can give assurances for their safety, Ukrainian ambassador Igor Polikha said on Monday.
Brushing aside reports of mistreatment and discrimination against Indians trying to flee the war-torn country, Polikha emphasised the need for discipline and calm at the border checkpoints to ensure the orderly exit of all foreigners. He said there are bound to be issues as some 500,000 Ukrainians and foreigners seek to flee through the land borders with Poland, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia.
“It’s a war, it’s a deep crisis... I can assure that the Ukrainian side is helpful to everyone who is trying to leave the territory,” Polikha told a news briefing at the embassy. He said he and his deputy were using personal and unofficial contacts to mitigate the problems of Indian citizens and were in regular contact with border guard commanders.
Watch: ‘Kicked & Punched’: Indian students allege abuse at Ukraine border
Faced with several questions on whether Ukraine could give any assurances regarding the safety of the Indians, an exasperated Polikha said: “The main assurances should be given by Putin to the Indian students.”
He added, “We are interested to solve this issue but don’t forget the root cause of the problem. It’s not Ukraine, it’s not Indian students, it’s not other foreigners. You know the main cause of this tragedy – Russian bombs and shelling.”
There were an estimated 12,000 Indians in Ukraine as of Monday and some 2,000 have left via border crossings with Hungary and Romania in the past few days. However, Indian nationals have faced problems and long delays at the main border crossing to Poland.
Polikha attributed these problems to the sheer number of Ukrainians and foreigners attempting to flee to Poland. He cited the instance of the wife and two children of the Ukrainian defence attaché being stuck at the Polish border for three days.
Also Read: Affordability makes Ukraine top choice for medical students
Asked about reports of mistreatment and discrimination against Indias, he said, “Stop talking about discrimination and racism. Please stop spreading panic. Me and my people... are in regular contact with our border guards and their commanders. There are untoward incidents with people from many countries and Ukrainians trying to get out of the queue and get to the border out of turn.”
He said Indians stranded in conflict zones in eastern Ukraine were hiding in bomb shelters and were being provided humanitarian aid.
Also Read: The state of play in Ukraine after invasion
Foreign secretary Harsh Shringla called in the Russian and Ukrainian envoys on Sunday to convey India’s concerns about the safety and security of its nationals and to seek the support of both countries for their evacuation. Polikha said Shringla requested him to try more actively to help and also accepted his request to provide humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.
The Ukrainian embassy is also trying to help hundreds of Ukrainians stranded in India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives following the disruption of air services.
