Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Saturday, demanding fresh rounds of sanctions against Russia, on governments of several countries including India to appeal to Russia to stop the ongoing conflict.
Kuleba, in a televised address, accused Russia of violating the ceasefire agreements and appealed it to stop shooting to allow civilians, including foreign students, to evacuate.
“For 30 years, Ukraine was a welcoming home for thousands of students from Africa, Asia… to facilitate their (foreign students’) movement, Ukraine arranged trains, set up hotlines, worked with embassies… The Ukrainian government is doing its best,” the Ukraine FM said.
Russia’s trying to “win the sympathy” of countries that have foreign nationals in Ukraine, Mr Kuleba claimed.
If Russia stops “manipulating” the issue of foreign students, they will all be safely evacuated, he said, adding: “I call on the governments of India, China, and Nigeria, to appeal to Russia to stop the fire and allow civilians to leave.”
Kuleba went on to add that all countries, including India, who enjoy special relations with Russia, can appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin that “this war is against the interest of all.”
Stressing that end of the conflict is in the best interest of all countries, Kuleba said: “India is one of the largest consumers of Ukrainian agricultural products and if this war continues, it’ll be difficult for us to seed new harvests. So, even in terms of global and Indian food security, it’s in the best interest to stop this war.”
The Ukraine FM also called on ordinary Indians to put pressure on Russia to demand from them to stop the war. “Ukraine is fighting only because we were attacked and we have to defend our land because Putin does not recognize our right to exist.”
Humanitarian corridors and ceasefires do not exist because Russian forces violated the agreement reached in the morning to arrange humanitarian corridors, he claimed.
“We urge Russia to stop shooting to allow civilians, including foreign students, to evacuate.”
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