The Global Union of Ghanaian Scholars (GUGS) has called for calm amongst Ghanaian students in Ukraine as well as parents and guardians of these students amidst the Russia-Ukraine crisis.

Speaking on The Pulse, Thursday, Media and Communications Secretary for the Union, Dr. Patrick Puplampu-Dove assured that the Union will ensure the safety of Ghanaian students in Ukraine.

“In our positions, we would do our very best to ensure that our brothers and sisters in Ukraine are safe. We are all in touch with government to see our best diplomacy can work if its evacuation or ensuring that people are safe. We just want to urge everyone at home and abroad to remain calm towards the situation,” he said.

Also speaking on the same show, President of the National Union of Ghanaian Students in Ukraine, Philip Bobbie-Ansah, proposed that government should engage in diplomatic conversation with neighbouring countries around Ukraine for students to be evacuated by land since air space has been closed in Ukraine.

According to him, no students has currently been affected by the recent escalations in Ukraine.

“In my communication with the Embassy [Ghanaian Embassy in Ukraine], I told them we can exploit evacuation by land. That is to go to the neighbouring countries like Poland, Moldova and other countries. With that, I think our government can start communication with them and see how best they can accept Ghanaian citizens into their country and help to evacuate through their soil…we need some sort of diplomacy between our government and all parties involved if we are going to use the land borders,” he said on The Pulse.

Meanwhile, the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) in a statement issued after a meeting with the Foreign Affairs Ministry on Thursday reiterated that government should move Ghanaian students in political conflict zones in Ukraine to neighbouring countries to enable safe flight back to Ghana.

Background

International media outlets have reported that Russian troops on Thursday launched their anticipated attack on Ukraine, as President Vladimir Putin cast aside international condemnation and sanctions and warned other countries that any attempt to interfere would lead to “consequences you have never seen.”

“Big explosions were heard before dawn in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Odesa as world leaders decried the start of an invasion that could cause massive casualties, topple Ukraine’s democratically elected government and threaten the post-Cold War balance on the continent.”

President Joe Biden has pledged new sanctions to punish Russia for the aggression.

But Putin has justified it all in a televised address, asserting that the attack was needed to protect civilians in eastern Ukraine.

He claimed that Russia does not intend to occupy Ukraine but will move to “demilitarize” it and bring those who committed crimes to justice.