At the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting on the Ukraine crisis, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the topmost priority of the government is the safety and security of Indian nationals, informed Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Thursday.
Earlier today, PM Modi also met Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and other officials including Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to discuss the economic impact of the Russia-Ukraine crisis and ways to mitigate the impact of rising crude oil prices.
Shringla also added that a number of steps have been taken to deal with the emerging situation in Ukraine. “We started the registration of Indian nationals in Ukraine about a month ago. Based on online registration, we found that 20,000 Indian nationals were there.”
Amid the conflict, sources in MEA said that the ministry is closely monitoring the situation. “We are closely monitoring the rapidly changing situation. Focus is on safety and security of Indians, particularly students. MEA control room is being expanded and made operational on 24×7 basis,” said sources.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation in Ukraine. In a televised address, Putin said the action comes in response to threats coming from Ukraine. The Russian President added that Russia doesn’t have a goal to occupy Ukraine. Putin also warned other countries that any attempt to interfere with the Russian action would lead to “consequences they have never seen”.
(With inputs from agencies)
