Russia-Ukraine Tensions: PM Modi To Speak To Putin Tonight, Chairs Cabinet Meet To Discuss Crisis

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi is chairing a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi (File Photo)

New Delhi: Amid the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will speak with President Vladimir Putin tonight.

Prime Minister Modi also chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on the Ukraine situation in the evening.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh are among those present in the meeting.

Prime Minister Modi will be meeting Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and other senior officials later this evening to discuss the economic impact of Russia-Ukraine crisis.

The Prime Minister will during the meeting also discuss ways to mitigate the impact of rising crude oil prices.

Earlier in the day, Sitharaman said she will be meeting Prime Minister Modi to discuss the situation arising out of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

“Definitely,” Sitharaman told reporters on the sidelines of an event here when asked whether there will be a meeting with the Prime Minster on the Russia-Ukraine issue, PTI reported.

The meeting assumes significance as markets have been rattled by Russia’s attack on the Eastern European country.

The 30-share benchmark Sensex crashed over 2,700 points in line with global meltdown amid invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

Meanwhile, high-level meetings are being held at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to work out contingency plans and find alternate evacuation routes, NDTV reported sources as saying.

Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier in the day announced a military operation in Ukraine.

This move has raised concerns over the possibility of a full-scale military confrontation between the two nations.

The Indian embassy in Ukraine had earlier said that special flights arranged to head to Kyiv to pick up Indian nationals were cancelled as the country's airspace was closed.

The Indian embassy has also issued a set of guidelines to students and others who live in the country.

India is now looking for alternative routes to evacuate its citizens from Ukraine.