Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security on Thursday evening to discuss the situation after Russia launched military operation in Ukraine. Modi will also speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin later in the night.
“At the CCS meeting, Prime Minister Modi stated that the topmost priority of the government is the safety and security of Indian nationals including students in Ukraine,” Foreign Secretary Harsh V. Shringla said at a press briefing.
Shringla said External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is expected to speak to his counterpart in Ukrain and will also hold discussion with the foreign ministers of Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary.
“A number of steps have been taken to deal with the emerging situation in Ukraine. We started the registration of Indian nationals in Ukraine about a month ago. Based on online registration, we found that 20,000 Indian nationals were there,” the foreign secretary said.
Around 4,000 Indian nationals have already left Ukraine in the past few days, he said, adding that the MEA control room in Delhi has got 980 calls and 850 emails. “The situation on the ground is difficult and is rapidly evolving,” he said.
Shringla said the government is consulting with universities and student contractors to ensure welfare and safety of the students. “We would also request all universities in Ukraine to conduct classes online,” he said.
The official said Prime Minister Modi had specifically stated that the MEA should do everything possible for our citizens in Ukraine. “Our Embassy in Ukraine continues to be functional. A number of advisories have been issued by embassies on the situation as it evolves,” he said.
Maintaining that India will handle the evacuation with utmost precaution, Shrngla said roadways have been mapped out to evacuate Indian nationals from Kyiv and reach safer places.
He said India is closely monitoring the sanctions being imposed on Russia by the US, the UK, Australia and Japan among others.
"We have to see what impacts these sanctions will have on our interests. Any sanctions will have an impact on our relationship, I think it would be correct to acknowledge that," the official said.
Besides Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Home minister Amit Shah and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar were seen in a video of the CCS meeting shared by official sources.
Union ministers Piyush Goyal and Hardeep Singh Puri who are not part of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) were in the meeting.
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and P.K. Mishra, the principal secretary to the prime minister, also attended the meeting.
The situation in Ukraine deteriorated after President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation, triggering serious concerns over the possibility of a full-scale military confrontation between the two countries.