PM Modi Asks Putin To Hold Direct Talks With Zelensky, Seeks Safe Evacuation Of Indians From Sumy

This is the second conversation between the two heads of state on the Ukraine crisis. PM Modi had a 50-minute long conversation with President Putin.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and urged Putin to hold direct talks with Ukrainian President Zelensky, as reported by news agency ANI.

This is the third conversation between the two heads of state on the Ukraine crisis. PM Modi had a 50-minute long conversation with President Putin.

"PM Modi spoke on the phone to Russian President Putin. The phone call lasted for about 50 min. They discussed the evolving situation in Ukraine. President Putin briefed PM Modi on the status of negotiations between the Ukrainian and Russian teams: GoI Sources," according to the ANI Tweet.

Putin has assured cooperation in the safe evacuation of Indian citizens from the city of Sumi in Ukraine, as quoted by news agency PTI.

PM Modi praised President Putin for the ceasefire announcement by Russia.

Around 700 Indian students are stranded in Sumy amid intense fighting between Russian and Ukrainian troops.

Earlier, PM Modi spoke to Zelensky on the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. According to information received from top government sources, PM Modi had a long talk with President Zelensky of Ukraine this morning. There was a phone conversation between the two heads of state for 35 minutes.

On March 2, Modi spoke to Putin and discussed the issue of the safe evacuation of Indians from war-torn Ukraine.

“The leaders reviewed the situation in Ukraine, especially in the city of Kharkiv where many Indian students are stuck. They discussed the safe evacuation of the Indian nationals from the conflict areas,” the Prime Minister’s office said.

The phone call came on a day when the Prime Minister of India assured the country that the government will leave no stone unturned for the safe evacuation of all Indians stranded in Ukraine.

Modi and Putin had a telephonic conversation on February 24, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

During the conversation, Prime Minister Modi called for an immediate end to the violence and called on all parties to make concerted efforts to return to the path of diplomatic dialogue, a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office said.