News Analysis India

Tag: Jaishankar

  • Rajnath Singh, Jaishankar arrive in US to attend 2+2 ministerial

    By PTI

    WASHINGTON: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar have arrived in the US capital to attend the India-US 2+2 ministerial dialogue in Washington on Monday – the first under the Biden administration.

    To be held under the shadow of the Ukrainian crisis, the 2+2 ministerial is reflective of the significance the two governments attach to this bilateral relationship, which former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee described as natural allies.

    In fact, President Biden has signalled to elevate the 2+2 ministerial by himself having a virtual meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the White House on Monday.

    The two Indian ministers – Singh and Jaishankar – along with their American counterparts – Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken – are slated to participate in the virtual meeting from the White House.

    The day would begin with Singh being given a red-carpet welcome at the Pentagon by Austin and Blinken meeting Jaishankar at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department.

    Thereafter, the four ministers would drive to the White House for the Modi-Biden virtual meeting.

    During the virtual meet, Biden and Modi will discuss cooperation on a range of issues, including ending the COVID-19 pandemic, countering the climate crisis, strengthening the global economy, and upholding a free, open, rules-based international order to bolster security, democracy, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.

    The 2+2 ministerial along with the respective delegations would take place at the State Department in the afternoon.

    A joint press conference has been scheduled at the conclusion of the 2+2. It would be addressed by Singh and Jaishankar along with Austin and Blinken.

  • India, Russia highlight need for keeping bilateral economic contacts ‘stable, predictable’

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India and Russia on Friday emphasised the need for keeping bilateral economic, technological and people-to-people contacts “stable and predictable”, signalling an intent to carry on with their cooperation, notwithstanding western sanctions on Moscow.

    External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his visiting Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov held wide-ranging talks, covering various aspects of the bilateral ties including trade and investment, a day after the US warned of consequences for countries for any attempt to “circumvent” the American sanctions against Moscow.

    Following the talks, Lavrov called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    Hours before the Russian foreign minister landed in India, US Deputy National Security Adviser Daleep Singh cautioned that there will be consequences for countries actively attempting to “circumvent or backfill” the American sanctions against Moscow.

    Referring to the crisis in Ukraine, Jaishankar, in the talks, emphasised the importance of cessation of violence and ending hostilities, and noted that differences and disputes should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.

    “The ministers assessed the overall state of cooperation. They considered the implications of recent developments on trade and economic relations,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.

    It said Jaishankar underlined that as a developing economy, global volatility in different domains is of particular concern to India.

    “It is important for both countries that their economic, technological and people to people contacts remain stable and predictable,” it said in a statement.

    The MEA said the two sides discussed developments pertaining to Ukraine and Lavrov briefed the Indian side on the Russian perspective of the situation, including the ongoing peace talks.

    “The external affairs minister emphasised the importance of cessation of violence and ending hostilities.

    Differences and disputes should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy and by respect for international law, UN Charter, sovereignty and territorial integrity of states,” it added.

    The high-level talks took place in the backdrop of indications that India could buy greater volumes of discounted Russian oil and both sides were keen on having a ruble-rupee arrangement for bilateral trade.

    The two sides also discussed the situation in Afghanistan and Lavrov conveyed his assessment of a recent conference on the war-torn country in China.

    “Concluded talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Discussed bilateral cooperation and developments in Ukraine, Afghanistan, Iran, Indo-Pacific, ASEAN and the Indian sub-continent,” Jaishankar said in a tweet.

    In his opening remarks at the talks, the external affairs minister said keeping regular touch between the two sides is something “that is in our mutual interest”.

    “Our meeting today takes place in a difficult international environment quite apart from the pandemic. India, as you are aware, has always been in favour of resolving differences and disputes through dialogue and diplomacy,” he said.

    On his part, Lavrov said the ties between India and Russia were “very sustainable” during many “difficult times” in the past and that he did not have the slightest of doubts about continued cooperation.

    He said strengthening of ties with India has been a key priority of the Russian foreign policy.

    “We are interested in having a balanced world order, which makes it sustainable,” Lavrov said.

    “These days, our western colleagues would like to reduce any meaningful international issue to the crisis in Ukraine. We do not fight anything and we appreciate that India is taking this situation in the entirety of effect and not just in a one-sided way,” he added.

    In the talks, Jaishankar noted that the UN Security Council Resolution 2593 expressed the concerns of the international community and spoke of humanitarian support for the Afghan people.

    The UNSC resolution, adopted on August 30, 2021 under India’s presidency of the global body, talked about the need for upholding human rights in Afghanistan, demanded that Afghan territory should not be used for terrorism and that a negotiated political settlement to the crisis should be found out.

    “Iran and JCPoA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) issue also featured in the talks.

    The external affairs minister welcomed the Russian briefing on the matter,” the MEA said.

    The JCPoA is a pact finalised in 2015 between Iran and several world powers, including the European Union (EU).

    It was aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

    The US had withdrawn from the deal in May 2018.

    There have been fresh efforts now to restore the deal.

    Modi on Friday called for early cessation of violence in Ukraine and expressed India’s readiness to contribute to the peace efforts to resolve the conflict, during a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

    According to a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the visiting Russian Foreign briefed Modi on the situation in Ukraine, including Moscow’s ongoing peace negotiations with Kyiv.

    Lavrov called on the Prime Minister after holding wide-ranging talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

    “Foreign Minister Lavrov briefed the Prime Minister on the situation in Ukraine, including the ongoing peace negotiations,” the statement said.

    “The Prime Minister reiterated his call for an early cessation of violence, and conveyed India’s readiness to contribute in any way to the peace efforts,” it said.

    It said the Russian Foreign Minister also updated Modi on the progress of decisions taken during the India-Russia bilateral summit held in December last year.

    On Thursday evening, Lavrov arrived in New Delhi after concluding a two-day visit to China.

    Unlike many other leading powers, India has not yet criticised Russia for its invasion of Ukraine and it abstained from the votes at the UN platforms in condemning the Russian aggression.

    However, last Thursday, India abstained on a resolution pushed by Russia on the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, which was seen as reflective of its neutral position on the conflict.

    India has been pressing for the resolution of the crisis through diplomacy and dialogue.

    Modi has held phone conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 24, March 2 and March 7.

    Modi had also spoken to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy twice.

    Last week, Jaishankar said in Parliament that India’s position on the Ukraine conflict has been “steadfast and consistent” and that it has been seeking immediate cessation of violence.

  • ‘Natural for countries to look for good deals for their people’: India defends buying energy supplies from Russia

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India on Thursday defended its decision to look for “good deals” for its energy requirement amid volatility in the market, while pointing out that Europe has been a major buyer of Russian oil and gas even after the crisis in Ukraine unfolded.

    External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar made the remarks in the presence of visiting British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss at the India-UK Strategic Futures Forum, shortly after holding extensive talks with her on a range of issues, including the situation in Ukraine.

    “When the oil prices go up, I think it is natural for countries to go out into the market and look for what are the good deals for their people,” Jaishankar said.

    “But I am pretty sure if we wait for two or three months and actually look at who are the big buyers of Russian oil and gas, I suspect the list would not be too different from what it used to be and I suspect we won’t be in the top 10 on that list,” he said.

    Jaishankar’s comments came on a day Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in India on a two-day visit.

    The visit by Truss to India on Thursday came amid increasing disquiet in the western capitals over India not criticising Russia for its attack on Ukraine and its decision to buy discounted Russian crude oil.

    Severely critical of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, Truss said at the India-UK forum that her country will end its dependence on Russian oil by the year-end and added that India is a sovereign nation and she is not going to tell it what to do.

    She was asked at the forum to comment on India’s decision to buy discounted oil from Russia.

    “It is interesting because we have seen for some time what looks almost like a campaign on this issue. I was reading a report today that in March, Europe has bought, I think, 15 per cent more oil and gas from Russia than it did the month before,” Jaishankar responded.

    “If you look at the major buyers of oil and gas from Russia, I think you will find most of them are in Europe,” he added.

    Jaishankar said India gets the bulk of its energy supplies from the Middle-East and around 7.5 to 8 per cent from the US, while the procurement from Russia in the past was less than one per cent.

    “We are reducing and eliminating our dependence on Russian oil and gas. That takes time. That is also true for other countries and the important thing for me is that the G7 has set a timetable to end that dependency and sent a strong signal in the market,” Truss said.

    “There have been some pretty remarkable changes. Germany has changed its entire energy and defence policy as a result of the invasion of Ukraine. We need to keep doing that,” she said.

    Truss said sanctions against Russia must be enforced.

    “We need to continue to put pressure on (Vladimir) Putin and continue to supply weapons to Ukraine.”

    The British foreign secretary said strengthening her country’s relationship with India has become more important than it was before as “we are living in a more insecure world, precisely because we have Putin’s appalling invasion of Ukraine and violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

    She wondered what would be the message the democratic countries will send across the world if the Russian president was successful.

    “If he was able to have success invading a sovereign nation, what message will that send to other aggressors around the world? I think it is very significant that the sanctions are applied on Russia along with weapons being supplied to Ukraine in its fight for freedom,” Truss said.

    “We have seen the alliance of G7, including Japan, putting on sanctions. We are also seeing countries like Australia, South Korea and Singapore participating in those sanctions because I think countries across the world, regardless of their specific status or structure, understand that there is a fundamental problem if an aggressor gets away with invading a sovereign nation,” she added.

    Truss said the impact of the Ukraine crisis will not be limited to Europe and will have far-reaching consequences.

    “The idea that somehow we should only focus on Europe because of this crisis is completely wrong. I am afraid to say that the implications of this crisis are far-reaching. We are seeing global food security threatened, global energy security threatened,” she said.

    Referring to major geopolitical developments, Jaishankar said what happened in Afghanistan last summer had a very strong impact on India, but it was not the case for Europe.

    Ahead of her talks with Jaishankar, the British High Commission said Truss will work to deepen cyber security and defence cooperation between the two countries and announce a new joint cyber security programme.

    It said the programme will aim at protecting the online infrastructure in both countries from attacks.

    It said India and the UK will work together to increase cyber security and carry out joint exercises to practise combatting threats from cybercriminals and ransomware.

    “The UK will join India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative and become a lead partner on maritime security issues, coordinating work with key partners in Southeast Asia,” it added.

    The High Commission said the foreign secretary will also confirm 70 million pounds of British International Investment (BII) funding to support renewable energy use in India.

    It said the current volatility in oil and gas prices and energy security concerns as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine underscored the importance of India’s green transition and move towards energy self-sufficiency.

    In the talks, the two sides also discussed the implementation of Roadmap 2030.

    The India-UK relationship was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during a virtual summit held between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Boris Johnson in May last year.

    At the summit, the two sides adopted a 10-year roadmap to expand ties in the key areas of trade and economy, defence and security, climate change and people-to-people connections.

  • Eastern Ladakh situation a work in progress: Jaishankar after talks with Wang Yi

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The current situation between India and China on the eastern Ladakh issue is “a work in progress” but moving at a slower place than desirable, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Friday after talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.

    He asserted that the restoration of normal ties will require normalcy in border areas.

    Addressing a press conference after talks with Wang, Jaishankar noted that 15 rounds of talks between senior military commanders have taken place over the eastern Ladakh standoff and pointed out that progress has been achieved on several friction points from the disengagement perspective.

    “This needs to be taken forward since completion of disengagement is necessary for discussions on de-escalation to take place. I would describe our current situation as a work in progress, obviously at a slower place than desirable, and my discussions with Foreign Minister Wang were aimed at expediting that process,” the external affairs minister said.

    The impact of border tensions on the overall ties has been visible in the last two years, he said. “This is only natural since peace and tranquillity in the border areas have been the foundation of stable and cooperative ties,” Jaishankar said.

    He said his nearly three-hour talks with Wang addressed a broad and substantive agenda in an open and candid manner.

    Jaishankar said he discussed with Wang bilateral relations that have been disturbed due to Chinese actions since April 2020. “I was honest in conveying our sentiment on this issue during talks with Wang Yi,” Jaishankar said while referring to the eastern Ladakh standoff.

    Frictions and tensions arising from China’s deployments since April 2020 cannot be reconciled with a normal relationship between two neighbours, he asserted.

    Asked whether terrorism emanating from Pakistan figured in the talks, Jaishankar said the issue came up. Wang, who holds the rank of state councillor, arrived in Delhi on Thursday evening from Kabul.

  • India to take Russia route to get back some students stuck in Ukraine: Jaishankar

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Government has brought back 22,500 Indians and 147 foreign nationals from Ukraine and will use the Russia route for the evacuation of students who are still stuck in South Ukraine, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

    In a statement on the situation in the war-hit country, the minister said the students had delayed their return from Ukraine as some universities discouraged them and “confusing political signals” were given there before the fighting started.

    Jaishankar defended the government’s stand on the Ukraine-Russia conflict, noting that India has called for an immediate cessation of violence and reiterated at the highest levels to all parties that there is no other choice but the path of diplomacy and dialogue.

    The minister said 22,500 Indian citizens and 147 foreign nationals of 18 countries, including Nepal and Bangladesh, have been evacuated from Ukraine.

    “There are some odd people, not in thousands, they are in double digits. We are tracking them. We have issued repeated advisories saying anybody who is left behind, please tell us wherever you are. At this moment we have an operation to get out some students who are stuck in the South (Ukraine) through the Russia route,” Jaishankar said.

    India prepared in advance of the actual conflict situation and started issuing advisories asking people to leave Ukraine, Jaishankar said, rebutting the Opposition’s charge of delayed action by the government.

    According to the minister, 20,000 Indian nationals registered with the Indian embassy in Ukraine after it started a registration drive. The minister said that 4,000 students left Ukraine through direct and indirect flights.

    In view of the continued build-up of tension, the Indian Embassy issued an advisory on February 15, 2022 advising Indian nationals in Ukraine whose stay is not essential to leave the country temporarily. It also advised Indian nationals not to travel to Ukraine or to undertake non-essential within Ukraine, the minister said.

    Further advisories were also given on February 20 and 22 pressing students to leave Ukraine. “Despite our efforts, however, a large majority of students elected to continue staying in Ukraine. We must understand the predicament in this regard. There was a natural reluctance to leave the educational institutions and affect the studies. Some universities actively discouraged and showed reluctance to offer online courses. Many of them received conflicting advice regarding safety,” Jaishankar said.

    He said that in the period leading to February 24, the political signals were confusing as well. “Public urgings not to be taken by alarmism and reports of force withdrawal created a confusing picture. The net result was that about 18,000 Indian nationals were caught in the midst of conflict when it started,” Jaishankar said.

    The minister said that students did what they thought is right under the circumstance. “The Sumy evacuation, which was the last one on a significant scale, was also extremely complex as our students faced the prospect of being caught in the crossfire. Their evacuation from the city needed a credible ceasefire, a daunting challenge in the current situation. This finally materialised due to the personal intervention of the Prime Minister himself with the Presidents of Ukraine and Russia,” the minister said.

    He said final year medical student of Kharkiv Medical University Naveen Shekarappa Gyanagaudar lost his life in the conflict zone and the government will bring back his mortal remains.

    The minister said that the conflict between Ukraine and Russia has major economic implications and these can be seen in the rising prices of energy and commodities.

    “The Ukraine conflict has major economic implications. Its impact on energy and commodity prices is already visible. The disruption of the global supply chain is expected to be significant. India has substantial dealings with both Russia and Ukraine,” Jaishankar said.

    He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to the Presidents of Russia and Ukraine on multiple occasions and took up the issue of safe evacuation of Indian nationals, especially from Kharkiv and Sumy.

    “The prime minister also spoke to the prime ministers of Romania, Slovak Republic and Hungary and the president of Poland to seek their support for facilitation of entry of Indian nationals to their countries. I most sincerely thank these partner nations for opening their doors and helping our citizens in our hour of need,” Jaishankar said.

    The minister said India has expressed deep concern about the worsening situation and called for an immediate cessation of violence and an end to all hostilities.

    “Our statements at the Security Council and the General Assembly have urged an urgent ceasefire and ensuring safe passage for stranded civilians. We have reiterated at the highest levels of our leadership to all parties concerned that there is no other choice but the path of diplomacy and dialogue. We have emphasised to all member States of the UN that the global order is anchored on international law, UN Charter and respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty of states,” the minister said.

  • Jaishankar to brief Parl consultative committee 

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is likely to brief the consultative committee of his ministry on the government’s effort to evacuate Indians from the conflict zone in Ukraine and the opposition MPs are expected to question the centre’s strategy.

    The 21-member Consultative Committee on External Affairs have Congress MPs Rahul Gandhi, Shashi Tharoor and Anand Sharma as its members and the opposition MPs are likely to seek reply on issues like delay in evacuation, data related to status of evacuees and Indians still stuck in the conflict zone.

    Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla is also expected to attend the meeting and brief the members. Jaishankar chairs the consultative committee of his ministry. On Monday, Shringla had briefed the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs on ‘Operation Ganga’ launched to evacuate Indians from eastern European nations.

    Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is also a member of the committee, has been questioning the government over the strategy to evacuate Indians stuck in the conflict zone in Ukraine. “To avert further tragedy, the Government must share how many students have been evacuated, how many are still stranded in Ukraine and a region wise detailed evacuation plan,” he tweeted.

    Other members Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi have been critical of the government’s action and stand on the matter. Towing a line different from the party’s official stand on Ukraine, Tharoor even questioned India’s abstention from the UN Security Council vote.

  • Jaishankar speaks to German counterpart

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday held a telephonic conversation with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock on the crisis in Ukraine.

    “Appreciate the telephonic discussion today with FM @ABaerbock of Germany on the Ukraine situation. Shared our perspectives and agreed to stay in touch,” Jaishankar tweeted.

    The conversation came amid a deteriorating situation in Ukraine with Russian forces closing in on the country’s capital Kyiv and targeting several other key cities by land and air.

    India has been in touch with several world powers including the US, European Union and the UK over the Russian military aggression on Ukraine. India has been in contact with Russia and Ukraine as well.

  • India steps up efforts to evacuate its nationals from Ukraine amid Russian military offensive

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India on Friday was grappling with complexities in evacuating its citizens from Ukraine through land border crossings in view of rapidly advancing Russian troops and chaotic ground situation as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar discussed the “predicament” of the stranded Indian nationals with his Ukrainian counterpart.

    Notwithstanding the difficult ground situation, India managed to set up camp offices in Lviv and Chernivtsi towns in western Ukraine to facilitate the transit of Indians to Hungary, Romania and Poland, official sources said.

    India also positioned teams of officials at Zahony border post in Hungary, Krakowiec as well as Shehyni-Medyka land border points in Poland, Vysne Nemecke in the Slovak Republic and Suceava transit point in Romania to coordinate exit of Indian nationals from Ukraine, they said.

    External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the first batch of evacuees from Ukraine reached Romania via Suceava border crossing and Indian officials will now facilitate their travel to Bucharest for their onward journey to India.

    Bagchi also shared on Twitter visuals of Indians crossing the Romania-Ukraine border.

    Senior officials said Air India will operate two flights to the Romanian capital Bucharest on Friday to evacuate the Indians. More flights are likely to operate in the next few days.

    Earlier, the Indian embassy in Ukraine said over 470 students will exit Ukraine and enter Romania through the Porubne-Siret border on Friday and that it is moving them to neighbouring countries for onward evacuation.

    It said that the “massive evacuation” operation was organised through the joint efforts of Indian embassies in Ukraine, Poland, Romania and Hungary and that efforts are underway to relocate Indians coming in from the hinterland.

    As India stepped up efforts to evacuate around 16,000 of its citizens, mostly students, Jaishankar, during a phone conversation with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba discussed the predicament of the Indian nationals and appreciate his support for their safe return.

    “Received call from Ukrainian FM @DmytroKuleba. He shared his assessment of the current situation. I emphasised that India supports diplomacy & dialogue as the way out,” Jaishankar tweeted.

    “Discussed predicament of Indian nationals, including students. Appreciate his support for their safe return,” he added.

    India is trying to evacuate its nationals through Ukraine’s land borders with Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Ukrainian government closed the country’s airspace following the Russian military offensive.

    As concerns mounted in India over the well-being of its citizens, Russian diplomatic sources said the Indian nationals stuck in Ukraine should stay calm and remain wherever they are.

    The sources said President Vladimir Putin conveyed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday night that the Russian military operation in Ukraine does not represent any threat to the civilian population.

    In his telephonic conversation with Putin, the prime minister “sensitised” him about concerns over the safety of the Indian citizens in Ukraine and conveyed that India attaches the highest priority to their safe exit and return home, according to an official statement.

    A Russian readout said the President of Russia said that “necessary instructions would be given”.

    The sources said Russia will definitely extend assistance to India for the evacuation of its citizens from Ukraine if it receives any specific request.

    The Indian embassy in Ukraine appealed to the Indians to continue to remain “strong, safe and alert” in “this difficult” and assured them that the Indian government and the mission are working to establish evacuation routes.

    “Once above routes are operational, Indian nationals travelling by their own arrangements for transport would be advised to proceed to above border checkpoints, and remain in touch with the helpline numbers set up at respective checkpoints for facilitation through the border,” it said.

    It also advised Indians to paste printouts of the Indian flag prominently on vehicles and buses while travelling.

    The Indian embassies in Poland and Slovakia too issued separate advisories explaining details about their entry into these two countries.

    The Indian embassy in Poland asked Indian nationals arriving at the Poland-Ukraine border by bus or taxi to enter through the Shehyni-Medyka border crossing and not by the Krakowiec point.

    In a separate development, Russia said it expects support from India at the UN Security Council when the global body takes up a crucial resolution on the Russian military operation in Ukraine.

    Russia’s Charge d’affaires Roman Babushkin said India has a deep understanding of the reasons that led to the current situation in Ukraine and Moscow is looking for continued support from New Delhi in sync with the special and privileged strategic partnership between the two countries.

    The UN Security Council is scheduled to vote on Friday evening on a draft resolution on Russia’s military operation in Ukraine as well as the escalating situation in the eastern European country.

    “We highly appreciate India’s deep understanding of the current situation as well as the reasons that led to it. We expect India to support Russia at the UN Security Council,” Babushkin told PTI.

    In another development, the heads of missions of European countries in India expressed solidarity with their Ukrainian counterpart, strongly condemning Russia’s “unprovoked and unjustified” military attack on Ukraine.

    The envoys held a meeting in New Delhi and extended their full support to Ukraine.

    Ambassador of the European Union to India and Bhutan Ugo Astuto said the EU and its member states stand in solidarity with Ukraine ambassador to India Igor Polikha.

  • EAM Jaishankar receives phone call from Ukrainian foreign minister

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Ahead of the crucial vote at the UN Security Council on the Russian attack on Ukraine, the country’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Friday spoke to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and shared his assessment of the current situation in Ukraine.

    Jaishankar said he emphasised that India supports diplomacy and dialogue as the “way out”. “Received call from Ukrainian FM @DmytroKuleba. He shared his assessment of the current situation. I emphasised that India supports diplomacy & dialogue as the way out,” Jaishankar tweeted.

    “Discussed predicament of Indian nationals, including students. Appreciate his support for their safe return,” he added.

    The UN Security Council is scheduled to vote on Friday evening on a draft resolution on Russia’s military operation in Ukraine as well as the escalating situation in the eastern European country.

    The draft resolution is set to condemn in the strongest terms Russia’s military operation in Ukraine that has triggered strong outrage by the Western powers.

    When asked at a media briefing on Thursday about India’s position on the draft UN Security resolution on the Ukraine crisis, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said India has seen it and that New Delhi’s stand will depend on the final shape of its text.

    “I am told that that would undergo considerable changes. We will wait to see the shape that the resolution takes before we can pronounce ourselves and the position that we will take on the issue,” he said.

    In the midst of the escalating situation in Ukraine, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation with President Vladimir Putin on Thursday during which he appealed for ending violence, and called for concerted efforts from all sides to return to the path of diplomatic dialogue.

    Jaishankar too held a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov and underlined that dialogue and diplomacy are the best way forward to deal with the crisis.

  • CM Channi requests Jaishankar to make arrangements for safe evacuation of Indians from Ukraine 

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Friday wrote to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, requesting that the central government makes immediate arrangements for the safe evacuation of Indians, including Punjabis, stuck in Ukraine following a Russian military offensive.

    “I would like to bring to your notice that a number of students and other Punjabis are stranded in Ukraine. Their parents and family members are worried about their safety because of the situation which has developed there. They are facing a number of problems like place to stay, cash crunch, etc. ,” Channi wrote.

    He requested the Centre to make immediate necessary arrangements for the safe evacuation of the Indians, including Punjabis, stuck in Ukraine. He requested the External Affairs Ministry to further intensify its efforts to explore all diplomatic channels to ensure safe return of Indians.

    “While the evacuation may take some time, meanwhile, Govt. of India may ensure safety of these people within Ukraine,” he said. On Thursday, Channi had sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention for the rescue and safe return of Indians, including Punjabis, stuck in Ukraine.

    Former union minister and SAD leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Friday urged Jaishankar to take immediate steps to ensure the safety of Punjabi students trapped in Ukraine as well as their safe passage to India. She shared with the government a list of 33 students from Punjab who are studying in various colleges in Ukraine.

    She said there was a likelihood of more Punjabis being stranded in Ukraine, besides people from other states, according to a statement.

    Badal said a concerted effort needed to be taken through the Indian embassy in Ukraine to ensure the safety of the students and Indian nationals there. Badal also reached out separately to Reenat Sandhu, Secretary (West) in the External Affairs Ministry, and requested that all help be extended to Indian students through the embassy in Ukraine.

    Earlier, Aam Aadmi Party’s Punjab chief ministerial candidate Bhagwant Mann too had appealed to the Union government to make arrangements to bring back Indian students safely and had also raised the issue of “multi-fold increase in air ticket prices”.

    Punjab Lok Congress president and former chief minister Amarinder Singh have also urged the Centre “to put all mechanisms in place for the safe and early return of all our nationals stuck there”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday stressed that India attaches the highest priority to the safe exit and return of its citizens from Ukraine.