India calls for diplomacy, dialogue to address Ukraine crisis
Mar 17, 2022
New Delhi [India], March 17 : India has called for diplomacy and dialogue to address the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict, said Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Thursday.
Bagchi's remarks came during the weekly briefing of MEA where he reiterated India's stand on the Ukraine situation.
"We have been clear and consistent, we feel that the only way out is through diplomacy and dialogue which has been emphasised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his conversation with President Putin and President Zelenskyy," he stated.
Bagchi said that India at the United Nations has been highlighting the need to respect the UN charter and the territorial integrity of countries.
The MEA spokesperson also informed that Operation Ganga, launched for the evacuation of Indian nationals in war-torn Ukraine, is still underway.
"We have evacuated over 22,500 Indian nationals from Ukraine. As this is a developing situation, there might be some people in isolated pockets. As per our knowledge, some 15-20 people are there who want to come back, while the rest do not want to leave. We, particularly through our embassy in Warsaw, will continue to help any Indian citizen who wants to return," he said.
On February 24, Russia began a special military operation in Ukraine after the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics requested help in defending themselves.
Russia has been facing immense pressure from the international community to stop its military operations in Ukraine which has created an immense humanitarian crisis with thousands of refugees from Ukraine fleeing to the neighbouring countries to the West.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is scheduled to hold an extraordinary meeting at 3:00 pm ET on Thursday to discuss the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.
