Status Of Modi Makes Me Hopeful: Ukraine Envoy To India Urges PM To Speak To Putin (WATCH)

Urging for PM Modi's intervention, the Ukrainian Ambassador emphasised that India has played a peacekeeping role in the past.

New Delhi: Dr Igor Polikha, Ambassador of Ukraine to India, on Thursday sought the Indian government's intervention amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"We are waiting for active support of the Indian leadership in stopping this war," the Ambassador said, as quoted by news agency ANI.

Ukraine's Envoy to India said that "at the present moment, we are asking, pleading for support of India. In case of aggression of totalitarian regime against the democratic state, India should fully assume its global role".

"Modi ji is one of the most powerful and respected leaders in the world," he added, further stating that "I don't know how many world leaders Putin may listen to but the status of Modi ji makes me hopeful that in case of his strong voice, Putin at least should think over."

"We are expecting for much more favourable attitude of the Indian government," Igor Polikha said.

Urging for PM Modi's intervention, the Ukrainian Ambassador emphasised that India has played a peacekeeping role in the past.

"I think that in this case, your Prime Minister can address Mr Putin. He can address our President. Many times in history, India played a peacekeeping role. We're asking for your strong voice to stop this war," he said.

In his speech, Polikha also referred to India's history and mythology citing how in the Mahabharata, there were active attempts to resolve the conflict before the war. 

"I know a lot about your history of diplomacy. You had such bright guys… like Chanakya, or he is otherwise called, Kautilya, approximately 2500 years back when on the major parts of Europe, there was no civilization," he said, as quoted by NDTV.

Russia-Ukraine Crisis | India's Stand Is Neutral, We Hope For Peaceful Solution: MoS MEA

Russia launched a special "military operation" in Ukraine today, warning that any attempt by countries to interfere with the action would lead to "consequences they have never seen".

Earlier in the day, Minister of State for External Affairs Dr RajKumar Ranjan Singh said that India’s stance remains neutral on the issue of tensions between Russia-Ukraine. 

Union MoS Dr RajKumar Ranjan Singh on Thursday said, "India's stand is neutral & we hope for a peaceful solution."

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) held a series of high-level meetings today to put into operation certain contingency plans in view of the rapidly changing situation in Ukraine.

Given that the Ukrainian airspace was closed for civilian aircraft, alternate evacuation routes are being activated to bring back the Indians, especially the students, official sources told news agency PTI.

The control room set by the MEA a few days back is being expanded and made operational on a 24x7 basis.

(With Agency Inputs)