New Delhi, Mar 7: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday spoke to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and sought his continued support in the ongoing efforts to evacuate of Indian nationals from Sumy. The telephone call lasted for about 35 minutes in which the two leaders discussed the evolving situation in Ukraine, government sources said.
Modi appreciated the continuing direct dialogue between Russia and Ukraine. He thanked Zelenskyy for the help extended by his government in the evacuation of Indian nationals from Ukraine, the sources said. Modi sought continued support from Ukraine in the ongoing efforts to evacuate Indian nationals from Sumy, they added.
The Prime Minister will also hold telephonic conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday afternoon, official sources said. The Indian Embassy in Kyiv said on Sunday that its team is stationed in Poltava city to coordinate the safe passage of Indian students stranded in Sumy to western borders via Poltava for which a confirmed time and date will be issued soon. The embassy also asked the students to be ready to leave on short notice.
Meanwhile, Russia has declared a ceasefire in Ukraine from 12:30 PM (IST) to open humanitarian corridors for stranded foreigners. PM Modi also appreciated the continuing direct dialogue between Russia and Ukraine, the sources added. The phone call lasted for around 35 minutes. The two leaders had last spoken on February 26, two days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The phone call comes as nearly 16,000 Indians have been evacuated so far as part of Operation Ganga from war-hit Ukraine.
The Indian Embassy in Ukraine is set to evacuate the 500 plus students stranded in Sumy via the city of Poltava. Russia on Monday agreed to hold its fire and open new humanitarian corridors across multiple Ukrainian cities on Monday to allow civilians to evacuate. Evacuation routes would be set up in the capital Kyiv, as well as Kharkiv, Mariupol and Sumy.
