India on Tuesday issued an advisory to its citizens in Ukraine, particularly students whose stay is not mandatory, to temporarily leave the country. The notice comes as tensions are escalating at the Ukraine-Russia border.
“Indian nationals are also advised to avoid all non-essential travel to and within Ukraine,” the Embassy of India in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv said. “Indian nationals are requested to keep the embassy informed about the status of their presence in Ukraine to enable the embassy to reach them where required.”
The statement added that the embassy will continue to function normally “to provide all services to Indian nationals in Ukraine”.
Since early this year, Russia has amassed close to 1.3 lakh troops at the Ukrainian border. The two countries have been engaged in a conflict since 2014, when Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula and backed separatist rebellions in the country’s eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.
However, Russia has consistently denied allegations that it would invade Ukraine.
Many countries have urged their citizens to leave Ukraine and have cut back their diplomatic staff, fearing an invasion by Russia. This includes the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Ireland, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Canada, Norway, Estonia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Australia, Japan, Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
On Monday, United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said that Russia could invade Ukraine at any moment as per the latest information. The official made the statement amid reports that Russia is sending thousands of more troops to the border with Ukraine.
United States President Joe Biden and the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke about the situation in Ukraine during a phone conversation on Monday. The two leaders agreed that there remained a “crucial window for diplomacy and for Russia to step back from its threats towards Ukraine”, according to a statement from Johnson’s office.
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