India ready to help nationals of neighbouring and developing countries stranded in Ukraine: Tirumurti tells U.N. Security Council

As the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) met in a special session to vote on a resolution calling for Russia’s withdrawal from Ukraine, the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) met to discuss the humanitarian crisis that is developing in the region.

Expressing concern about the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UNPR) T.S. Tirumurti said that India’s evacuation efforts had been hampered by the events at the Ukraine border. Mr. Tirumurti also offered evacuation assistance to citizens of developing countries and India’s neighbours whose nationals were stranded in Ukraine.

“Our evacuation efforts have been adversely impacted by the developments on the ground at the border crossings,” he said, informing the Security Council of the Government’s decision to send Ministers to oversee evacuation efforts in neighbouring European countries.

Mr. Tirumurti informed the Security Council that the Government was sending humanitarian aid to Ukraine on March 1 and had senior Ministers visiting Ukraine’s neighbours to discuss the arrival of Indian citizens in these countries. Earlier in the day, on Feb. 28, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had announced medical and other aid to Ukraine, when he announced that several Ministers were also travelling to Europe to oversee efforts.

Just under 1,400 Indian nationals have been brought back to India on six evacuation flights, Mr. Bagchi had said on Monday.

India, has, in recent weeks, consistently abstained from voting on resolutions related to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.