NEW DELHI: Indian students stranded in Ukraine have alleged harassment by the locals. There have been unconfirmed reports of abduction attempts, too. Brushing aside all these incidents and labelling them as a means to politicise the situation, Ukraine’s Ambassador to New Delhi, Igor Polikha, urged India to exert pressure on Russia to stop the war.
“We are asking for partners to exert pressure on (Russian President Vladimir) Putin to stop the war. The main assurance for the safety of Indian students in Ukraine can only be given by Putin,” he said. The envoy said Ukraine was helping the stranded Indians and extending assistance in their evacuation despite a “very difficult and complex” ground situation. Polikha said he himself had reached out to some of the Ukrainian border guarding commanders requesting them to assist the Indians trying to exit the country through land borders. He, however, added “my resources are limited”.
“In the case of Indian nationals, we are even trying to use our personal contacts to help them. But, you have to understand the ground realities. We are in a war,” he said. Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla had on Sunday met Polikha and requested Ukraine’s assistance in the evacuation of the stranded Indians.
Asked whether he can assure the safety of Indian students, Polikha said “only Russian President Vladimir Putin can give that assurance”. “I don’t know what will happen there after three hours. We are trying to be helpful to everyone.”