PM Modi on Thursday chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) amid the situation arising out of Russia’s attack on Ukraine and demands to bring back Indians stranded there. There is a possibility that Prime Minister Modi may hold a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin in view of the current situation. Official sources gave this information.
Apart from Prime Minister Modi, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attended this important meeting.
According to a video released by official sources, Union Ministers Piyush Goyal and Hardeep Singh Puri also attended the meeting. However, Goyal and Puri are not members of the CCS. Several top-level officials including National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister PK Mishra were also present in the meeting.
#WATCH Prime Minister Narendra Modi chairs meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) pic.twitter.com/9lvHMRi1bT
— ANI (@ANI) February 24, 2022
Ignoring international condemnation and sanctions, Russia invaded Ukraine on Thursday, launching airstrikes and firing on its cities and military bases. According to the Ukrainian government, Russian tanks and soldiers are roaming the border. Ukraine also accused Russia of waging an all-out war. In announcing military action on Ukraine, Putin warned other countries that any attempt to interfere with Russian action would have “results they have never seen.”
India is closely monitoring this rapidly changing situation in Ukraine. The priority of the government is to ensure the safety of the stranded Indians, especially the students studying there. The Indian Embassy in Ukraine’s capital Kiev has advised all Indian citizens in Ukraine to maintain peace and stay safe. An advisory has been issued by the embassy in this regard today as well.
Chief ministers of several states and various political parties including Maharashtra, Kerala, Haryana, Gujarat, Punjab, Karnataka and Uttarakhand have urged the government to ensure the safety of Indians stranded in Ukraine.