'A Ceasefire We Helped To Arrange': EAM Jaishankar Hints At India's Role In Creating Safe Zone In Ukraine For Evacuation Of Students

Speaking in Lok Sabha today (6 April) on the evacuation of Indian students from Ukraine, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar hinted at India's role in arranging the ceasefire that helped New Delhi and others evacuate their citizens in the middle of the Russian invasion.

"I was in the same room when the Prime Minister was speaking with President Putin on the issue. The PM told President Putin that Indian students are in danger because of the firing taking place. As a result of this discussion, we got enough time and our students were able to get to a safe zone identified by the Russians, where they said there would be no firing," Jaishankar said.

"Prime Minister talked to both the Presidents [Vladimir Putin of Russia and Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine] because both countries were accusing each other of firing. He explained India's situation to both and said that we need firing to stop for a particular duration of time. This is how evacuation of Indian students stuck in Sumy [in north-eastern Ukraine] became possible," the External Affairs Minister said in Lok Sabha.

"When we left Sumy, more non-Indian students also cam out along with us, and they came out because of a ceasefire we had helped to arrange," he said.

"Most of the students left the war zone on trains. We pressurised the Ukrainian government to continue running trains so that out students could leave," Jaishankar said in the house.

The External Affairs Minister also spoke on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and answered some queries raised by members of the house during a debate on the issue on Tuesday (5 April).

Jaishankar also shed light on the discussion between India and Ukrainian universities on the academic future of the evacuated students. The Minister told the house that the students would be offered relaxation and mentioned that the government has been in touch with Hungary, Kazakhstan, and Poland.